Christina McDonnell

Christina McDonnell

Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, University of Wyoming

[email protected]

Lessons Learned

• The intersection of maltreatment and disability is a critical area to focus research, teaching, and clinical services, in partnership and collaboration with communities (co-designed research, participatory research). 
• Existing evidence-based interventions, such as trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT), have strong potential for supporting children with disabilities, although much more research is needed to understand for whom these therapeutic programs work best and for whom adaptations and/or other programs may be more helpful. 
• A lifespan approach is essential, including supporting adults with disabilities (Autistic adults) who have experienced childhood maltreatment, and supporting both caregivers and their children (intergenerational, family-based supports). 

Resources Developed

• Research article published in Child Maltreatment:  “A Pilot Proof of Concept Study of Telehealth-Based Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Autistic Youth:  Initial Evidence of Efficacy and Acceptability” https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/10775595251323215?casa_to…
• Research article published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry: “Child maltreatment in autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disability:  results from a population-based sample” https://acamh.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jcpp.12993?casa_…;
• Research article published in Autism Research:  “Intergenerational trauma:  Parental PTSD and parent-reported child abuse subtypes differentially relate to admission characteristics in the autism inpatient collection” https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/aur.2669?casa_token=i8…

Suggested Resources

• “Tailoring Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Youth with Developmental Disabilities (TF-CBT IDD) and Their Caregivers” via the STYDD Center: https://tfcbt.org/idd-implementation-guide/
• Medical University of South Carolina’s Telehealth Outreach Program, and their resources for telehealth delivery of trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy: https://www.telehealthfortrauma.com/telehealth-resources/
• Autism and Intellectual Disability Exchange Network (AIDE Canada) “Becoming More Trauma Informed Collection” https://aidecanada.ca/resources/learn/asd-id-core-knowledge/trauma-coll…

Collaborative Areas of Interest

• Autism and child maltreatment 
• Better recognition of maltreatment among youth with disabilities, and professional training and supports
• Development and dissemination of mental health interventions, via co-designed and participatory research