Predictors of Trauma Exposure and Trauma Diagnoses for Children with Autism and Developmental Disorders Served in a Community Mental Health Clinic.
John D Hoch, Adriana M Youssef
PMID 31838644WHAT IT FOUND
Children with autism or developmental disabilities in a mental health clinic had lower recorded trauma reports and trauma diagnoses than other clinic children, even though negative life events were similar.
Foster care, multiple homes, and conduct problems were linked to higher trauma risk.
Key findings
01Children with autism or developmental disabilities were less likely to have trauma reported and less likely to have a trauma or stressor diagnosis than children with other mental health disorders.
02Foster care and a greater number of living situations were linked with higher trauma reports and trauma diagnoses.
03Higher conduct problem scores on the parent SDQ were linked with greater likelihood of trauma report and trauma diagnosis.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
Trauma and trauma diagnoses were not measured with a standardized tool; clinicians used their own interview methods and categories. Caregivers were the main reporters of trauma exposure, so reports could be incomplete or biased. Many demographic answers were not disclosed, including 59.5% for race, and this was not random missing data. The study used existing clinic records, so it can show associations, not true prediction or cause. Symptom overlap and diagnostic overshadowing may have made trauma harder to recognize in autism and developmental disability. Income and socio-economic status were not collected, so they may explain some group differences.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the lower trauma reports and diagnoses in autism or developmental disability groups as proof they experience less trauma. The study used routine clinical records and caregiver reports, and the authors note under-reporting, communication barriers, and diagnostic overshadowing could explain the difference.