CTC Assessment Techniques & Intervention Strategies 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) study found that higher ACE scores correlate most strongly with:
- Immediate PTSD diagnosis in childhood
- Increased risk of chronic disease and early mortality in adulthood (Correct answer)
- Lower academic achievement only
- Higher rates of single-incident trauma exposure
Correct answer: Increased risk of chronic disease and early mortality in adulthood
The ACE study demonstrated a dose-response relationship between cumulative childhood adversity and increased risk of chronic physical and mental health conditions and early death in adulthood.
Question 2: Which of the following best describes the purpose of the Trauma Narrative component in TF-CBT?
- To provide legal documentation of abuse
- To help the child process and contextualize traumatic memories in a safe setting (Correct answer)
- To verify the accuracy of the child's memory
- To desensitize the therapist to graphic content
Correct answer: To help the child process and contextualize traumatic memories in a safe setting
The Trauma Narrative helps children organize, process, and derive meaning from traumatic memories through gradual retelling in a supportive therapeutic environment.
Question 3: A trauma consultant recommends EMDR for a 12-year-old with single-incident trauma. Which phase must be completed before trauma processing can begin?
- Desensitization
- Installation
- Preparation and resourcing (Correct answer)
- Body scan
Correct answer: Preparation and resourcing
EMDR's Preparation phase, including resource development and stabilization, must be completed before trauma desensitization to ensure the client has sufficient emotional regulation capacity.
Question 4: When using the Child Trauma Screening Questionnaire (CTSQ) in a school setting, the most important limitation to communicate is that it:
- Provides a definitive PTSD diagnosis
- Is a screener only and requires follow-up clinical assessment for positive results (Correct answer)
- Measures trauma exposure rather than symptom severity
- Is validated for children under age 5 only
Correct answer: Is a screener only and requires follow-up clinical assessment for positive results
The CTSQ is a brief screening tool — a positive result indicates need for full clinical assessment, not a clinical diagnosis.
Question 5: Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP) is primarily indicated for which population?
- Adolescents with complex trauma and substance use
- Children aged 0–5 and their caregivers following trauma exposure (Correct answer)
- School-age children without caregiver involvement
- Adults processing childhood trauma retrospectively
Correct answer: Children aged 0–5 and their caregivers following trauma exposure
CPP is an evidence-based dyadic intervention designed for children birth through age 5 and their caregivers, targeting the attachment relationship as the vehicle for healing.
Question 6: A 7-year-old presents with hypervigilance, sleep disturbance, and emotional numbing. The consultant assesses trauma history and finds no identifiable single traumatic event. The next most appropriate step is to:
- Rule out PTSD and close the case
- Assess for chronic relational and developmental trauma using a comprehensive framework (Correct answer)
- Diagnose adjustment disorder
- Refer exclusively for medication evaluation
Correct answer: Assess for chronic relational and developmental trauma using a comprehensive framework
When no single-incident trauma is identified but symptoms are present, the clinician should broaden assessment to include chronic, relational, and developmental trauma histories.
Question 7: Which culturally responsive practice is most critical when conducting trauma assessments with immigrant children?
- Using English-only measures to ensure standardization
- Considering acculturation stress, pre-migration trauma, and language as assessment factors (Correct answer)
- Applying adult trauma measures adapted informally
- Avoiding trauma inquiry to prevent re-traumatization
Correct answer: Considering acculturation stress, pre-migration trauma, and language as assessment factors
Culturally competent assessment with immigrant children requires considering pre-migration trauma, acculturation stressors, language barriers, and culturally specific trauma expressions.
CTC Assessment Techniques & Intervention Strategies 3
The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) study found that higher ACE scores correlate most strongly with: