Developmental Trauma Disorder

Following is a list of the symptoms of Developmental Trauma Disorder from the amazing Attachment Therapist, Denise Best, who now resides and works in Oregon.  

 

Symptoms of a Child with Developmental Trauma Disorder

Relationships with Others

  • Poor eye contact
  • Rejects affection from parents (stiff, rigid, pushes away, squirms)
  • Acts overly charming to get their way/ Affectionate only on Childs terms
  • Indiscriminate affection towards strangers (Disinhibited Type)
  • Acts incredibly innocent, even when caught in the act
  • Demands things instead of asking for them
  • Limited ability to accurately read and appropriately respond to social cues
  • Gamey; try to get people in their service, make them mad (like they’re feeling)
  • Difficulty developing emotionally reciprocal relationships
  • Difficulty being able to trust adults/parents to meet their needs
  • Difficulty respecting authority figures, and adults in general

Mood & Biological Regulation

  • Temper tantrums lasting up to 2 hours, can argue for long periods of time
  • Difficulty sustaining or regaining (age appropriate) emotional regulation
  • Nonstop chattering or asking questions they know the answers for
  • Extremely high anxiety, therefore a need to control others & environment
  • Impulsive, hyperactive, inattentive, but
  • Can also be hypervigilant/attentive to all sounds & movement around them
  • High pain tolerance and/or refuses to let anyone help or comfort
  • Daredevil, risk-taking behaviors and/or accident prone
  • Food issues: hoards, sneaks, gorges or eats very slowly
  • Under high stress default to “Fight, Flight, or Freeze” states, dissociates

Behavioral

  • Deliberately breaks things – then doesn’t’ appear to miss them
  • Steals – often things would’ve been given permission for
  • False allegations of abuse/maltreatment
  • Do “Paybacks” (revenge) for perceived wrongs/ not getting their way
  • Sneaks things – even when would’ve received permission had they asked
  • Lies – crazy made up stories, to get out of trouble, get others in trouble
  • In more severe cases, lack of remorse or lack of capacity to experience victim

empathy: harmful to animals and smaller children, sexual obsession

and/or predatory behavior, preoccupation with fire and gore

Mental

  • Doesn’t appear to be able to learn from mistakes (poor cause & effect)
  • Behavior typically good at school, but poor academic effort/progress
  • Intellectual, Emotional, and Physical Developmental Delays (often 2-4 years)
  • Learning Disorders: Receptive & Expressive Language Processing problems
  • Mental Health Disorders: Depression, Anxiety, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
  • Fetal Alcohol Syndrome or
  • Alcohol Related Neurodevelopmental Disorder (without facial features)

Self Concept

  • Feel alone, sad, worthless, and unlovable
  • Filled with shame and a deep sense of “not belonging”