Literature and research links on treatment of trauma and PTSD for people with developmental disabilities

Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT) has strong evidence of its effectiveness to treat post-traumatic stress disorder in children and is commonly utilized in mental health settings. Some state licensing and oversight authorities have mandated that providers use TF-CBT for children under their care and for whom they provide funding for treatment services. These mandates are often made without regard to diagnosis or developmental status that might predict TF-CBT efficacy. Therefore, this study sought to determine if manualized TF-CBT was as effective as more traditional Applied Behavior Analysis approaches with individualized Intensive Behavioral Interventions for youth with developmental conditions in a residential treatment facility.