CTC Childhood Trauma Assessment Techniques 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which assessment tool uses a structured interview format to evaluate the presence and severity of PTSD symptoms in children aged 7–18?
- Child PTSD Symptom Scale (CPSS) (Correct answer)
- Beck Depression Inventory (BDI)
- Conners Rating Scale
- Childhood Autism Rating Scale
Correct answer: Child PTSD Symptom Scale (CPSS)
The CPSS is a validated structured interview and self-report measure specifically designed to assess PTSD symptoms and functional impairment in children aged 7–18.
Question 2: When assessing trauma in a child from a collectivist cultural background, the consultant should FIRST:
- Administer standard Western instruments without modification
- Explore how the family and community define and express distress (Correct answer)
- Focus solely on DSM diagnostic criteria
- Skip the caregiver interview to protect confidentiality
Correct answer: Explore how the family and community define and express distress
Culturally responsive assessment requires understanding the family's and community's conceptualization of distress before selecting or interpreting instruments.
Question 3: The UCLA PTSD Reaction Index is best described as:
- A projective drawing technique for toddlers
- A semi-structured interview and rating scale for trauma exposure and PTSD symptoms (Correct answer)
- A physiological measure of cortisol levels
- A standardized IQ test adapted for trauma populations
Correct answer: A semi-structured interview and rating scale for trauma exposure and PTSD symptoms
The UCLA PTSD Reaction Index is a widely used semi-structured interview that screens for trauma exposure and rates PTSD symptom severity across DSM criteria.
Question 4: A clinician notices a 9-year-old's trauma narrative is inconsistent across two interviews one week apart. The MOST appropriate interpretation is:
- The child is definitively fabricating the account
- Memory inconsistency is pathognomonic of malingering
- Inconsistency is common in trauma disclosure and does not invalidate the report (Correct answer)
- The assessment should be terminated immediately
Correct answer: Inconsistency is common in trauma disclosure and does not invalidate the report
Research shows that trauma memories often emerge incrementally and inconsistently, especially in children, which does not indicate fabrication.
Question 5: Which of the following is a key limitation of self-report trauma measures used with children under age 8?
- They are too lengthy for clinical use
- Young children may lack the cognitive and linguistic skills required for accurate self-report (Correct answer)
- They always overestimate symptom severity
- Self-report measures are banned for use under age 10 by APA guidelines
Correct answer: Young children may lack the cognitive and linguistic skills required for accurate self-report
Children under 8 have developing metacognitive and language skills that can compromise the reliability of self-report instruments.
Question 6: The Trauma Symptom Checklist for Young Children (TSCYC) is completed by:
- The child independently
- A trained psychometrician
- A caregiver or parent (Correct answer)
- The classroom teacher only
Correct answer: A caregiver or parent
The TSCYC is a caregiver-report measure designed for children aged 3–12 whose young age makes self-report impractical.
Question 7: During a trauma assessment, a child suddenly dissociates mid-session. The consultant's PRIORITY response is to:
- Continue the interview to capture the disclosure in real time
- Use grounding techniques to help the child re-orient to the present moment (Correct answer)
- Increase the pace of questioning before the window closes
- Document the dissociation and end the session immediately without explanation
Correct answer: Use grounding techniques to help the child re-orient to the present moment
Grounding techniques (e.g., 5-4-3-2-1 sensory exercise) safely re-orient a dissociating child and restore co-regulation before proceeding.
CTC Childhood Trauma Assessment Techniques 2
Which assessment tool uses a structured interview format to evaluate the presence and severity of PTSD symptoms in children aged 7–18?