Poster #25

Trauma in Individual with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

By: Lauren Hughey, MA, LMFT

Abstract:

The purpose of this presentation is to provide insight and education on individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities, how their trauma presents, and ways to promote healing. Individuals with IDD are more likely to experience trauma than their neurotypical counterparts, and the effects of their trauma is increased. This is attributed to their predisposition toward emotional problems and impaired resiliency, a belief that individuals with IDD cannot benefit from therapy, and lacking trained professionals who are comfortable working with IDD in processing traumatic experiences. But all brains change and develop over the lifetime, so individuals with IDD can create new, safe connections and engage in practices promote healing. Positive supports, positive psychology, focus on increasing happiness, replacement skills, and positive identity can all lead to progress in trauma responses for individuals with IDD who have had trauma experiences. This information finds that all individuals, even those with vulnerabilities, can experience healing from their trauma experiences.

lauren hughey

I am a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and have worked in the field of mental health for over 8 years. I currently am the program director at a dual diagnosis program for individuals who have an intellectual or developmental disability and a mental health diagnosis. My program serves the county of San Diego and works to support individuals and families by building skills and resources to build capacity within the system. These efforts are to decrease interactions with emergency services - police officers, emergency room departments, and psychiatric hospitalizations. Through this work, we have seen how many of our individuals have experienced trauma throughout their life, and at a much higher rate than of their neurotypical counterparts. My team has seen how more education is needed about this population, as their are gaps in their care. I would like to present on how trauma can present differently in individuals with neurodiversity and what it looks like to support them and their systems of support.