Peter D’Amico

Peter D’Amico, Ph.D., ABPP

 Director, STRYDD Center @ Northwell Health

Associate Professor, Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell

STRYDD Center—Supporting Trauma Recovery for Youth with Developmental Disabilities, A National Child Traumatic Stress Network Treatment Development and Dissemination Center, Long Island Jewish Medical Center, Northwell Health System 

[email protected]

Lessons Learned

• Trauma has been basically invisible in youth with IDD and continues to be overlooked for several reasons not the least of which is diagnostic overshadowing—attributing the trauma symptoms to the disability
• Many clinicians are reticent in treating individuals with IDD, referencing the need for extensive specialized training, however modest training to help clinicians accommodate for neurodiversity has shown to be successful in raising levels of confidence and competency and perhaps most importantly has led to clinicians increasing number of IDD cases in their caseloads.
• The strongest messaging has come from those with lived experience.

Resources Developed

• D’Amico, P.J., Vogel, J.M., Mannarino, A.P, Hoffman, D.L., Briggs, Tunno, A.M., Smith, C.J, Hoover, D. & Schwartz, R.M.  (2022). Tailoring trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT) for youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities: A survey of nationally certified TF- CBT therapists, Evidence-Based Practice in Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 7:1, 112-124. https://doi.org/10.1080/23794925.2021.1955639
• Hoover, D., D’Amico, et al, TF-CBT for IDD Implementation Guide https://tfcbt.org/idd-implementation-guide/
• NCTSN Fact Sheets (developed by NCTSN Trauma and IDD Collaborative Group with participation from STRYDD Center)
  • The Impact of Trauma on Youth with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: A Fact Sheet for Providers: https://www.nctsn.org/resources/the-impact-of-trauma-on-youth-with-inte…
  • Children with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities can Experience Traumatic Stress: A Fact Sheet for Parents and Caregivers: https://www.nctsn.org/resources/children-with-intellectual-and-developm…  
  • Trauma and Children with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: Taking Care of Yourself and Your Family: https://www.nctsn.org/resources/trauma-and-children-with-intellectual-a…  
  • Understanding Trauma Responses in Children with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and When to Seek Help: https://www.nctsn.org/resources/understanding-trauma-responses-in-child…  
  • Choosing Trauma-Informed Care for Children with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: A Fact Sheet for Caregivers: https://www.nctsn.org/resources/choosing-trauma-informed-care-for-child…  

Suggested Resources

• Daniel Hoover, PhD., University of Maryland
• NCSTN.org and https://learn.nctsn.org
• Liesbeth Mevissen
• Connor Kerns

Collaborative Areas of Interest

• Trauma Informed Care and De-escalation Skills
• Trauma Sensitive Behavioral Supports (ABA)
• Systems level interventions to reduce siloed state developmental disability and mental health programs