Clinical Topics & Methods Category

The Double Whammy of Disability and Trauma: Therapeutic and Logistical Issues and Practical Solutions

1.5 CE Hour
2 members have taken this course
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About the Course

Children and teens with developmental delays and disabilities face high risks for trauma yet at the same time encounter barriers to receiving therapy for traumas they endure. Some barriers arise from professionals’ lack of familiarity with the ways trauma can impact different disabilities, and how posttraumatic and dissociative symptoms might manifest in these populations. Many trauma therapists do not feel comfortable treating clients who have disabilities. Many therapists who work with disabilities do not feel comfortable tackling trauma. Posttraumatic and dissociative symptoms are often seen as a worsening of existing issues or might be judged as “all due to trauma” when they might reflect interplay of disability and trauma factors. Effective intervention can be complicated by the reality that youth with disabilities see many professionals, and that collaboration between educators, developmental therapists, medical personnel, and psychotherapists, frequently meets logistical and ‘territorial’ challenges.

This workshop will address the complex realities of trauma therapy in youth with disabilities. Perceptions (and misconceptions), clinical competence concerns, ‘turf wars,’ logistics, and confidentiality issues will be discussed. Presenters will utilize clinical vignettes and audience input to explore unique challenges and opportunities. Possible solutions for liaising with caregivers, medical, educational, and other providers will be offered.

This course is based on the recorded webinar, The Double Whammy of Disability and Trauma: Therapeutic and Logistical Issues and Practical Solutions created by Na'ama Yehuda, MSC SLP et al in 2019.

Publication Details

Publication Date: 2019

Course Material Authors

Course Material Authors authored the material only, and were not involved in creating this CE course. They are identified here for your own evaluation of the relevancy of the material this course is based on.

Na'ama Yehuda, MSC SLP

Na’ama Yehuda, MSC, SLP, is a speech-language pathologist and audiologist with almost 30 years’ experience. A clinician in private practice, she consulted for the New York City Department of Education; provides international professional development and consultations on communication, language, trauma, and development; and is the author of several publications on the topic. She was elected to serve on the boards of directors of the Israeli Speech Hearing Language Association (ISHLA) and the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation (ISSTD), chaired and volunteers on taskforces and committees, and co-chairs the Child and Adolescent Committee of ISSTD and the ISSTDNYC component group. Her book, "Communicating Trauma: Clinical presentations and interventions with traumatized children" received the ISSTD's Written Media Award for 2016. She is an ISSTD Fellow, as well as a recipient of the ISSTD President's Award (2014) and the ISSTD Distinguished Achievement Award (2011). She also writes and publishes fiction.

Jaime Pollack, MA, ITDS

Jaime is founder and director of An Infinite Mind, a non-profit dedicated to educating the community about trauma based dissociation with a focus on Dissociative Identity Disorder. Additionally, she works as a special education teacher and behavior therapist. Jaime is passionate about educating people about the effects trauma can have on the development of children, including those with special needs.

Patricia Peace, LMHC, EMDR

Patricia S. Peace, LMHC, EMDR, is the owner of Transformations Counseling in Orange City, Florida. She provides therapy to individuals, couples, adolescents and families on a wide variety of issues, including trauma, grief and loss, anxiety, depression, stress, addiction, foster care, adoption, domestic violence, self-harm, relationship issues, physical and sexual abuse, autism, substance abuse/use and specialization with a focus on the LGBT+ community. She incorporates a variety of tools to assists clients on their journey to healing, including traditional “talk therapy”, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, a Person Centered Approach, Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA), EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing), Trauma Informed Care, as well as sand tray and art activities. She has experience in victim services, group home counseling, and advocacy for victims of trafficking. She does advocacy and training for Volusia County schools.

Course Creator

Sandi Cardaman

Sandi Cardaman has been a Licensed Mental Health Counselor for more than 15 years. She has worked with eating disorders, domestic violence and clients who are working with the dependency system.

Target Audience

Counselors, marriage and family therapists, psychologists and social workers. This course is appropriate for all levels of knowledge. This content is at an intermediate level.

Learning Objectives

After taking this activity, you should be able to:

  1. 1 Identify how developmental delays and disabilities increase risk for trauma.
  2. 2 List five examples for how trauma and dissociation might manifest in youth with disabilities.
  3. 3 Discuss three ways to increase cultural and clinical competence in their work with traumatized youth with disabilities.

Disclosure to Learners

CE Learning Systems adheres to the ACCME's Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Medical Education. Any individuals in a position to control the content of a CE activity – including faculty, planners, reviewers, or others ― are required to disclose all relevant financial relationships with ineligible entities (formerly known as commercial interests).

The following relevant financial relationships have been disclosed by this activity's planners, faculty, and the reviewer:

Planners and Reviewers

The planners of this activity have reported that they have no relevant financial relationships.

Material Authors

There are no known relevant financial relationships to disclose.

Course Creator

Sandi Cardaman – None to report.

Commercial support

There is no commercial support for this distance-learning course.

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