• Child traumatic stress occurs when children and adolescents are exposed to traumatic events or situations, and this exposure overwhelms their ability to cope with what they have experienced.
    - Julian D. Ford, PhD, Department of Psychiatry, University of Connecticut School of Medicine,

DSM V

Field Testing

The Illinois Childhood Trauma Coalition has partnered with the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) to advocate for a new diagnosis in the upcoming release of the DSM V in 2012. The new diagnosis is called "Developmental Trauma Disorder." The NCTSN saw a need for a diagnosis that would capture children with complex trauma histories who have symptoms not accounted for by current diagnoses.

A task force of childhood trauma experts was convened to develop the specific criteria for the "Development Trauma Disorder" diagnosis. The "Developmental Trauma Disorder"  was then submitted to a DSM V Committee for further reveiw.

If you would like to support the research evidence for the need for the "Developmental Trauma Disorder" please contact ICTC.