Diagnosing Trauma
If you or a family member has experienced trauma, or is displaying signs of trauma, including school or neurodivergent trauma, then we can support you with a diagnosis.
Assessing Trauma
Neurodivergence and trauma often co-occur. Neurodivergent people are at a significantly higher risk of developing PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) after experiencing trauma due to several factors that intertwine their neurobiology with their social experiences. A recent study highlighted that even when certain criteria of PTSD are not met, Autistic individuals will still often develop PTSD symptoms:
Neurodivergent individuals have a more vulnerable neurobiology (more reactive nervous systems)
Increased risk of victimization
Sensitive sensory profiles that encode memory with more intensity
The chronic stress and invalidation of navigating an allistic world
Neurodivergent individuals are more likely to experience traumatic events, including various forms of relational trauma. Additionally, neurodivergent individuals often perceive and experience things that others do not consider traumatic, such as sensory-based trauma and social trauma, as intensely distressing.
If you are looking for a formal neuroaffirming trauma diagnosis, read below to find out how the assessment process works.
And further down the page, we outline the screening and diagnostic approach for Trauma, including school trauma, sensory trauma, neurodivergent trauma, giftedness trauma and much more.
There’s also a helpful Q&A.
How Trauma Assessments Work
STEP ONE: Free Consultation
The first step is for you to drop us an email and let us know you are looking for a diagnosis of trauma for you or your child. We will then share our price list with you with a detailed overview of how the process works. If you want to proceed or have questions, we then book you in for a free 15 minute consultation.
We know that some people find talking over the phone challenging, so we can offer a phone call or a video call. It is important that you get to know us, and we start to get to know you to make sure DL is a good fit for you and your needs.
STEP TWO: Full Psychological Assessment
If you decide you do want to go ahead with a full assessment we will get this booked in with you. We can provide payment plans but your first payment must be received before the assessment takes place.
Using a scientifically valid approach, use screening scales (differing depending on the type of trauma you have experienced) and then a psychological assessment. This is in the form of interviews and a timeline of your experiences. We understand that this may be a difficult process for you to undertake and that recalling past or recent events can be triggering. So we provide a supportive affirming environment to scaffold you through the process.
The assessment interview can be done in person or via video call. It can be quite intense and we will prepare you fully for what to expect before we meet.
STEP THREE: Interpretation
Once all the information has been gathered we then analyse the assessments and interviews to determine if you have a diagnosis of trauma and what that diagnosis is.
This can be a scary step for anyone who is seeking diagnosis. You have come to us because you want a definitive answer on your experiences. You want to understand yourself or your child better. Perhaps because you would like accommodations at work or at school, or are seeking an EHCP for your child. This diagnosis provides you with the evidence you need to get further support and validation.
STEP FOUR: Reflective Session
This is where we discuss the results of your assessment and whether any trauma is confirmed. As mentioned, sometimes the diagnostic criteria haven’t been met. We will go into why this is and what the next steps could be. Sometimes there is another condition that could be causing similar concerns to trauma, such as a neurodivergent profile.
If a trauma diagnosis is confirmed, we will discuss what options you have for further support and will answer any questions you have.
STEP FIVE: Report
We will provide you with a full diagnostic report from your assessment. This is yours to share with any professionals, colleagues or family members as you see fit. It can be used to help with evidence to present to CAMHS or your school if you are seeking an EHCP for your child.
We also include lots of useful information and links to resources we have tried and tested.
And we will also outline further support you can get from Divergent Life from one of our qualified team members who provide therapy, coaching, and group programmes.
Please be gentle with yourself through this process. Everything you or your loved one has experienced will have left imprints on your body, causing chronic pain and sometimes illness. And it takes time for that to shift through the body. Neurodivergent individuals often have more reactive nervous systems, making them more susceptible to PTSD.
Research shows that Autistic children exhibit heightened nervous system reactivity and less flexibility in managing stressors. This reduced flexibility hampers their ability to cope with acute stressors, contributing to the higher incidence of PTSD. This hyperactivation can lead to increased vulnerability following trauma.
Being neurodivergent and having experienced trauma can bring many challenges, because we are existing in a world that was designed for what has been defined as being neurotypical. But you or your child also have incredible strengths and talents. We can help you find and embrace them, even while dealing with the trauma you have experienced.
Ready to take your next step? Email us to book your free 15 minute consultation
The Tools We Use for Assessment
At DL, we believe in transparency. In the section below, we outline exactly which screening and diagnostic tools we use. We use the most up to date, comprehensive and neuroaffirming tools that are available. We do assessments for adults and children. Once your diagnosis is confirmed, we can offer ongoing support for you or your family as appropriate, including individual or family coaching or therapy. We also have a range of group programmes.
For all of our assessments, we will include the following:
A full triage assessment. This looks at developmental milestones, presenting concerns, family history, and how things are going at school or work.
A Strengths and Differences evaluation. This is a self-completed questionnaire allowing us a fuller, more rounded picture of you or your child
We may also speak to teachers or other family members for a child’s assessment, and we have a comprehensive teacher’s questionnaire
The report includes all of the above, and the diagnostic report and interpretation, with therapeutic recommendations and suggestions for adapting home life, school life, and work life as appropriate
Trauma Assessment
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We use a range of screening methods, but for example for a child experiencing school trauma, we use the Child Dissociative Checklist, Anxiety Scale for Children - ASD Parent version, and School Refusal Assessment Scale Revised.
For other types of trauma we will use alternative screeners.
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We use a key events and impact assessment to understand how events over a period of time have affected you or your child/loved one. Additionally, we will carry out one or more interviews to talk to you or your child about your experiences.