A Call to Action: Extending the Research on Trauma Assessment and Treatment for Children With Intellectual Disabilities and Extensive Support Needs

Children with intellectual and developmental disabilities and extensive support needs (ESN) face a high risk of experiencing traumatic events, which may lead to a myriad of negative mental and physical health and educational outcomes. Identifying symptoms and treating trauma, however, are challenging due to communication difficulties, vague or atypical symptom presentation, and limited assessment and treatment options. Using a community-engaged approach, educators would be beneficial partners for researchers as they are uniquely capable of overcoming these barriers. Due to their prolonged and daily interactions with children with ESN, educators are likely to recognize physical symptoms and changes in behavior that may quickly lead to the identification of trauma. Furthermore, their vast knowledge of children with ESN would help researchers develop and implement feasible school-based trauma treatments. Their capability makes them important partners in future research to address these problems. This Exchange explores the available literature on the identification and treatment of trauma among children with ESN as well as the role of educators in these processes and future research.