Trauma

“For many individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, aggression is often a trauma-driven survival response rather than intent. Trauma-informed assessment must come before any therapeutic processing.”
— Patricia Wright

For Families & Caregivers

Psychotraumatology Evaluation for Youth & Adults IDD Adapted

When someone has lived through overwhelming or harmful experiences, it can be tempting to rush toward counselling or therapy in hopes of “working through” what happened. For many youth and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), however, beginning trauma processing too soon can actually increase distress, trigger escalation, or make behaviour worse if coping and regulation supports are not yet in place.

A Psychotraumatology Evaluation is often used as a pre-therapy step to help determine what someone needs before any trauma-focused work begins. Rather than asking individuals to relive or process traumatic experiences, this evaluation looks at how past experiences are currently affecting emotional regulation, behaviour, stress tolerance, and day-to-day functioning.

The process is trauma-informed and safety-focused. It helps identify whether an individual has the coping strategies, emotional supports, and environmental stability needed to engage safely in counselling or other interventions. When those foundations are not yet present, the evaluation provides guidance on what supports should come first—such as stabilization, regulation strategies, or environmental changes—so that future therapy, if pursued, can be safer and more effective.

Families often use these evaluations to:

• Understand why therapy or programs may not have worked in the past

• Avoid re-traumatization or emotional overload

• Advocate for appropriate pacing and supports

• Reduce repeated crises or escalation

• Help service providers take a trauma-informed approach

The goal is not to delay help, but to ensure that help is introduced at the right time and in the right way.

For Referral Sources & Service Providers

IDD-Adapted

A core function of this evaluation is to support safe service sequencing. Trauma processing or insight-based interventions can be destabilizing when individuals lack sufficient coping strategies, emotional regulation capacity, or environmental supports. This evaluation is therefore commonly used as a readiness and safety step prior to counselling, therapy, mediation, or other intensive interventions.

The assessment focuses on identifying trauma-related patterns, stress responses, thresholds for overwhelm, and factors that contribute to escalation or disengagement. It does not involve trauma processing or diagnosis. Instead, findings are translated into practical guidance regarding stabilization needs, pacing, environmental considerations, and preparatory supports required to reduce risk and increase the likelihood of successful engagement in future services.

Psychotraumatology reports are used to:

• Assess readiness for trauma-focused or insight-based interventions

• Prevent re-traumatization and service failure

• Inform stabilization and regulation supports

• Guide ethical sequencing of services

• Reduce escalation linked to premature intervention

Reports provide functional, trauma-informed insights that support proportionate, safety-focused decision-making across community, educational, and supported-living settings.