Developmental Trauma Resources
- Developmental Trauma Resources
The following are some excellent resources that the DTAA has compiled to assist families and professionals in their understanding of developmental trauma and its impacts. This list of resources was designed to accompany the More About Developmental Trauma page and should be referred to along with these resources.
Terminology
The DTAA uses the term developmental trauma to explain and capture the effect early life trauma has on a child’s development, and the inherent reliance that development has on their relationship with a caregiver. Some of the resources suggested below use other terms such as early life adversity, complex trauma or toxic stress to describe this. The DTAA is continuing to canvass and discuss the best approach to the terminology we use to ensure our initiative is easily understood by families and professionals, and the words we use are positive and focused on healing and wellness, and are not seen as pathologizing those impacted by developmental trauma. Your feedback is welcome.
Resources
For your convenience, the resources set out below have been organized into Resources for Families and Resources for Professionals. Everyone is welcome to access all the resources noted below. Through its work, the DTAA has gathered many more resources. If you don’t find what you are looking for or have additional suggestions, please contact us at [email protected].
RESOURCES FOR FAMILIES
How Brains Are Built: Core Story of Brain Development
The Alberta Family Wellness Initiative has created an excellent 4 minute video How Brains Are Built: Core Story of Brain Development.
Apple Magazine Brain Issue – 2018
This issue of Apple (Alberta Health Services’ health and wellness magazine) is a great, well-written and easy to understand publication full of articles explaining our brains, the science behind them and what they need to thrive.
http://www.applemag-digital.com/applemag/our_brain_2018?pg=1#pg1
TEDtalk: How Childhood Trauma Affects Health Across a Lifetime
In 2014, Dr. Nadine Burke Harris did a 14 minute TEDtalk explaining how childhood trauma affects health across a lifetime.
ACE’s Pyramid
The Center for Disease Control in the US developed some info graphics that demonstrate how adverse childhood experiences impact our futures.
https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/acestudy/ACE_graphics.html
What Are ACEs?
Harvard University’s Center for the Developing Child recently developed this helpful info graphic and set of FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions) to illustrate the connection between the ACEs study and developmental trauma or what they refer to as toxic stress.
https://developingchild.harvard.edu/resources/aces-and-toxic-stress-frequently-asked-questions/
An ACEs “Primer”
This 5 minute video from KPRJ Films provides a basic overview of the Adverse Childhood Experiences study:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccKFkcfXx-c
Developmental Trauma Summary Sheet
The UK’s Beacon House.
https://adoption.on.ca/uploads/Image/Beacon_House_
Developmental-Trauma-Summary-Sheet.pdf
ReMoved
Developmental Trauma through the experiences of a child’s journey in foster care in the ReMoved short film by Nathaneal Matanick.
https://www.removedfilm.com/pages/watch
An ACE’s animated story from the UK
This very powerful 5 minute video from the UK provides an excellent depiction of the impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences – with and without intervention.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHgLYI9KZ-A
Brains Journey to Resilience
The Alberta Family Wellness Initiative has produced an 8 minute video, Brains Journey to Resilience, suitable for all to explain the brains resilience.
https://www.albertafamilywellness.org/resources/video/
brains-journey-to-resilience
The Repair of Early Trauma: A “Bottom Up” Approach
The UK’s Beacon House has produced an 11 minute video that explains developmental trauma through the voice of a child.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOCTxcaNHeg
10 Things Children Need for Healthy Development
From a “big picture” prevention point of view, this is an info graphic from the Fraser Mustard Institute of Human Development (prepared by Fallon, B; Sokolowski, M; Burrows, G; Lye, S; Truelsen, S.) that sets out the 10 things children need for healthy development.
https://adoption.on.ca/uploads/Image/Preventing_Childhood_
Trauma_-_Full_page_for_link.pdf
RESOURCES FOR PROFESSIONALS
Dr. Bessel van der Kolk’s proposal to include a Developmental Trauma Disorder diagnosis in the DSM:
Here is Dr. Bessel van der Kolk et al‘s 2009 proposal to include Developmental Trauma Disorder in the DSM-V. Our kids need to be better understood by all of us. Join the DTAA’s campaign to Heal Childhood Trauma Together.
http://www.traumacenter.org/announcements/dtd_papers_oct_09.pdf

Developmental Trauma Disorder: A Missed Opportunity in DSM-V
Canadian Academy of Child and Adolescent Psyciatry
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4032083/
Call to Action on Behalf of Maltreated Infants, Toddlers and Preschoolers in Canada
The Infant Mental Health Promotion from Sick Kids recently issued a Call to Action on Behalf of Maltreated Infants, Toddlers and Preschoolers in Canada. It contains a lot of excellent background material.
The Future of Healing: Shifting from Trauma Informed Care to Healing Centred Engagement
Shawn Ginwright, PhD
Remembering Trauma, Parts 1 & 2: Connecting the Dots Between Complex Trauma & Misdiagnosis in Youth
A 16 minute video about complex trauma and misdiagnosis in youth (Part 1), followed by a 32 minute companion film with expert commentary (Part 2) by KPJR Films.
* Caution: this film includes adult language and scenes of family violence and sexual assault; youth should watch with a trusted adult who they can turn to for support.
http://www.rememberingtrauma.org/
For Pediatricians & Family Doctors:
Helping Foster and Adoptive Families Cope with Trauma
A Guide for Pediatricians. American Academy of Pediatrics.
https://www.aap.org/en-us/Documents/hfca_foster_trauma_guide.pdf
Applying Universal ACEs screening in the pediatric clinic
US Centre for Youth and Wellness
https://centerforyouthwellness.org/advancing-clinical-practice/
US QIC-AG Adoption Fact Sheet for Health Care Providers
Quality Improvement Centre for Adoption & Guardianship Support and Preservation
https://qic-ag.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/QICAG-Pediatric-Brochure-v07-
Final.pdf
For Educators:
Helping Traumatized Children Learn
A very good US website: which includes videos and resource guides. Trauma and Learning Policy Initiative
https://traumasensitiveschools.org/
ACO webpage for Educator Resources
The Adoption Council of Ontario (ACO) has gathered resources together for teachers and other educators to assist them in their work with children and youth.
https://adoption.on.ca/educator-resources
US QIC-AG Adoption Fact Sheet for Educators Quality Improvement Centre for Adoption & Guardianship Support and Preservation
https://qic-ag.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/QICAG-Education-Brochure-v041- final.pdf
BOOKS
- The Boy who was Raised as a Dog: And Other Stories from a Child Psychiatrist’s Notebook, by Dr. Bruce Perry
- Hey, Kiddo, by Jarrett J. Krosoczka. A graphic novel for kids being raised in kinship families by a young man raised by his grandparents.
- The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind and Body in the Healing of Trauma, by Dr. Bessel van der Kolk
- The Deepest Well: Healing the Long-term Effects of Childhood Adversity by Dr. Nadine Burke-Harris
- The Damage I Am, an on-line book by Toronto Mount Sinai doctors Dr. Robert Maunder & Dr. Jonathan Hunter
- All Our Relations: Finding the Path Forward, a powerful call for action and justice for Indigenous communities and youth, by Tanya Talaga
- When the Body Says No: The Cost of Hidden Stress, by Dr. Gabor Mate
- Born for Love: Why Empathy is Essential – and Endangered, by Dr. Bruce Perry and Maia Szalavitz
- Riley the Brave, by Jessica Sinarski. A great book for school aged kids (and the big guys who support them!)
- Belonging: A Relationship-Based Approach for Trauma-Informed Education, by Sian Phillips, Deni Melim & Daniel Hughes
WEBSITES
- Alberta Family Wellness Initiative (https://www.albertafamilywellness.org/) – Lots of excellent resources about the brain impact as well as The Brain Story Certification, a free on-line 30 hour training
- US Center for Disease Control – a website that includes background, information and data on the original 1995-1997 Kaiser Permanent ACEs study: (https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/acestudy/)
- US National Child Traumatic Stress Network (https://www.nctsn.org/) – many excellent resources and guides for families, youth and professionals
- UK’s National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (https://www.nspcc.org.uk/)
- UK’s Anna Freud National Center for Children and Families (https://www.annafreud.org/what-we-do/anna-freud-learning-network/childhood-adversity-and-trauma/)
- UK’s Beacon House Resources (https://beaconhouse.org.uk/useful-resources/)
TRAININGS
For Professionals & the Public
- AFWI’s Brain Story course – a free on-line 19 module course that provides a deeper understanding about brain development and its consequences for lifelong health, including addictions.
https://www.albertafamilywellness.org/training
For Parents:
For all parents:
- Nurturing Attachments
https://www.georgehullcentre.on.ca/
- Circle of Security
https://www.circleofsecurityinternational.com/
For adoptive, kinship, customary care and foster parents and caregivers:
- Pathways to Permanence: Parenting Children who have Experienced Trauma & Loss
https://adoption.on.ca/pathways-to-permanence-2
For kinship caregivers:
- The Annie E. Casey Foundation’s 4-part free video series by Dr. Joseph Crumbley: Coping with the Unique Challenges of Kinship Care:
https://www.aecf.org/blog/training-series-coping-with-the-unique-challenges-of-kinship-care//
For Professionals:
All Professionals:
- Infant Mental Health Training for all staff in community-based agencies – 15 part series by IMHP at Sick Kids
http://imhpromotion.ca/Training-Events/IMH-Community-Training
Educators:
- Trauma & Loss: Creating School Communities of Wellbeing
https://adoption.on.ca/uploads/Image/Workshop_for_Educators_-_Trauma__amp__Loss__Creating_School_Communities_of_Well-being.pdf
Child Welfare and Mental Health Professionals:
- ACT: an Adoption & Competency Curriculum for Child Welfare & Mental Health Professionals
https://adoption.on.ca/act-curriculum
Child Welfare Professionals Working with Kinship Caregivers:
- The Annie E. Casey Foundation’s 5-part free video series by Dr. Joseph Crumbley: Engaging Kinship Caregivers
https://www.aecf.org/blog/engaging-kinship-caregivers-with-joseph-crumbley/
Clinicians
- NCTSN’s Developmental Trauma Disorder series of webinars: Identifying Critical Moments and Healing Complex Trauma
https://learn.nctsn.org/course/index.php?categoryid=78 - NICABM’s Treating Trauma Master Series:
https://www.nicabm.com/program/treating-trauma-master/