Anastasia E. Yasik

The Children's PTSD Inventory: development and reliability.

Information involving the development of the DSM-IV version of the Childrens PTSD Inventory is described. Independent ratings by highly experienced judges denote that the instrument encompassed the universe of definition that it was intended to measure (i.e., the DSM-IV criteria for PTSD). The instrument was administered to 82 traumatized and 22 nontraumatized youths at Bellevue Hospital. Moderate to high Cronbach alphas (.53–.89) were evident at the subtest level. An alpha of .95 was evident at the diagnostic level. In terms of inter-rater reliability, 98.1% agreement was evident at the diagnostic level. Inter-rater intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) ranged from .88 to .96 at the subtest level and .98 at the diagnostic level. Good to excellent kappas (.66–1.00) were reported for inter-rater reliability at the subtest level. An inter-rater reliability kappa of .96 was evident at the diagnostic level. In terms of test-retest reliability, 97.6% agreement was evident at the diagnostic level. Good to excellent test-retest kappas (.66–1.00) and ICCs (.66–.94) were observed. A test-retest kappa of .91 and an ICC of .88 was observed at the diagnostic level.

The intellectual performance of traumatized children and adolescents with or without posttraumatic stress disorder

This study compared the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-III (WISC-III) scores of traumatized youth with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to the scores of trauma-exposed and nonexposed comparison groups without PTSD. All groups were free of additional major childhood psychiatric disorders. The PTSD group scored significantly lower than the comparison groups on verbal subtests, but not on performance subtests. The scores of the trauma-exposed PTSD negatives and nontrauma exposed controls were not significantly different. Accordingly, PTSD and not a history of trauma exposure in the absence of PTSD was associated with lower verbal IQ.

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: Memory and Learning Performance in Children and Adolescents

BACKGROUND Despite the wealth of information in adult posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) literature, few studies have explored the memory and learning performance of trauma-exposed youth. This study examined if memory deficits are associated with PTSD or with trauma exposure in the absence of PTSD. METHODS Youth exposed to traumatic incidents underwent clinical interviews to diagnose PTSD and exclude major comorbid disorders. Youth with conditions that could impede performance on a memory scale (e.g., limited intellectual functioning, current substance abuse, psychopharmacological treatment) were excluded. Three groups of participants were identified (PTSD positives [n = 29], traumatized PTSD negatives [n = 62], and nontraumatized control subjects [n = 40]). Participants completed the Wide Range Assessment of Memory and Learning (WRAML). RESULTS Youth with PTSD evidenced significantly lower scores on the WRAML General Memory, Verbal Memory, and Learning indices compared with nontraumatized control subjects. With the exception of Verbal Memory, youth with and without PTSD performed comparably on all other indices. Nonsignificant differences were noted on the Visual Memory Index. CONCLUSIONS General memory and verbal memory impairments as evidenced in adult populations were observed among this sample of youth. Given the developmental trajectory of memory capabilities, the implications of such early trauma exposure and memory deficits are considered.

An analysis of the internalizing and externalizing behaviors of traumatized urban youth with and without PTSD

To test the differential validity of the posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) classification, 3 groups of youths (PTSD, traumatized PTSD negatives, and controls) were examined. Youth with major comorbid disorders were excluded. On the basis of an analysis of parent-derived Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) ratings, significant variations in CBCL scores were associated with PTSD but not with exposure to exceptional stress in the absence of PTSD. The results also indicated that traumatic exposure without the development of PTSD was not associated with higher estimates of psychopathology.

The Validity of the Children's PTSD Inventory

The Childrens PTSD Inventory (CPTSDI) was administered to 76 traumatized and 28 nontraumatized youths. CPTSDI diagnoses were compared to DICA-R and SCID PTSD diagnoses. Moderate to high sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive power, and diagnostic efficiency were evidenced across criterion measures. Convergent validity was evidenced by significant correlations with the Revised Childrens Manifest Anxiety Scale, Childrens Depression Inventory, Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) Internalizing scale, and the Junior Eysenck Personality Inventory (JEPI) Neuroticism scale. Discriminant validity was observed through nonsignificant correlations with the CBCL Externalizing and the JEPI Extraversion scales.

Attachment and Autism: Parental Attachment Representations and Relational Behaviors in the Parent-Child Dyad

While attachment research has demonstrated that parents’ internal working models of attachment relationships tend to be transmitted to their children, affecting children’s developmental trajectories, this study specifically examines associations between adult attachment status and observable parent, child, and dyadic behaviors among children with autism and associated neurodevelopmental disorders of relating and communicating. The Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) was employed to derive parental working models of attachment relationships. The Functional Emotional Assessment Scale (FEAS) was used to determine the quality of relational and functional behaviors in parents and their children. The sample included parents and their 4- to 16-year-old children with autism and associated neurodevelopmental disorders. Hypothesized relationships between AAI classifications and FEAS scores were supported. Significant correlations were found between AAI classification and FEAS scores, indicating that children with autism spectrum disorders whose parents demonstrated secure attachment representations were better able to initiate and respond in two-way pre-symbolic gestural communication; organize two-way social problem-solving communication; and engage in imaginative thinking, symbolic play, and verbal communication. These findings lend support to the relevance of the parent’s state of mind pertaining to attachment status to child and parent relational behavior in cases wherein the child has been diagnosed with autism or an associated neurodevelopmental disorder of relating and communicating. A model emerges from these findings of conceptualizing relationships between parental internal models of attachment relationships and parent-child relational and functional levels that may aid in differentiating interventions.

The self-concept of traumatized children and adolescents with or without PTSD

This study compared the Piers-Harris 2 scores of youth with PTSD (n=30) to the scores of traumatized youth without PTSD (n=60) and a non-traumatized comparison group (n=39). In the absence of major comorbid disorders, youth with PTSD evidenced significantly lower scores than the traumatized PTSD negatives and controls on five of six Piers-Harris 2 scales. With the exception of scores on an index of perceived parental acceptance of child behavior, trauma exposure in the absence of PTSD was not associated with lower Piers-Harris 2 scores.

Using Information from an Early Intervention Program to Enhance Literacy Goals on the Individualized Education Program (IEP)

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act requires that an Individualized Education Program (IEP) be developed for each child that receives special education services. To develop the most effective IEP, information is gathered from everyone who has worked with the child. In many schools the child receives early intervention services prior to referral to special education. One early intervention program that is utilized for first grade children falling behind in reading and writing is Reading Recovery®. The detailed information gathered as part of this program provides invaluable information that may facilitate development of appropriate literacy goals. This article discusses the information that is collected in the Reading Recovery program and provides an example of how this information can be utilized to support the development of IEP literacy goals.

Self-Reported Anxiety Among Traumatized Urban Youth

This study compared the Revised Children’s Manifest Anxiety Scale (RCMAS) scores of traumatized youth with or without PTSD to the scores of a nonclinical comparison group. Child diagnostic interviews identified children with PTSD (28), traumatized children without PTSD (63), and a nonclinical comparison group (41). In the absence of major comorbid disorders, children with PTSD had significantly higher RCMAS total scores and significantly higher scores on the RCMAS Physiological Anxiety, Worry/Oversensitivity, and Social Concern/Concentration subscales. Nonsignificant differences were observed between groups on the RCMAS Lie subscale. The RCMAS scores of the traumatized PTSD negatives and controls did not significantly differ. Implications for research and practice are considered.

Early violence prevention programs: implications for violence prevention against girls and women.

Abstract:  This chapter considers violence prevention programs in light of aggression and violence directed toward girls and women. More specifically, current violence prevention programs, directed toward young children and/or their caregivers, are discussed with a special consideration for the Adults and Children Together (ACT) Against Violence Training Program developed by the American Psychological Association (APA) and the National Association of Education of Young Children (NAEYC). Data supporting ACT is presented, with implications for further program development and evaluation. Finally, parent education, theory and research, and professional services related to violence prevention are discussed.