Peer-reviewed article
Trauma-Informed Care on CAMHS ID Unit. Case Study of a Child with Neurodevelopmental Disorder and Self-Injurious Behaviour
Eggleston E, Daoud O ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This case study describes a 14-year-old girl with intellectual disability, autism, and fetal alcohol syndrome who was admitted to a specialist hospital unit with a nine-year history of self-injury and suicidal thoughts. The team implemented a trauma-informed positive behaviour support plan alongside therapy and ADHD assessment and treatment. Staff received training in trauma-informed care principles to create a psychologically supportive environment for the child.
Key points
- The child had a nine-year history of self-injurious behaviour and suicidal ideation that did not respond to community or previous inpatient treatment
- A person-centred Trauma-Informed Positive Behaviour Support Plan was introduced as a new approach for the unit
- Staff training and consultation on trauma-informed care principles were provided to help the team understand how trauma affects the individual
- ADHD assessment confirmed an additional diagnosis of ADHD, which was treated with medication optimisation
- The approach combined individual and family therapy, trauma-informed care principles, and systemic person-centred care
Limitations
This is a single case study with no comparison group or outcome measurements reported, so it cannot demonstrate whether the intervention was effective or what specific changes occurred in the child's behaviour or well-being. The document does not provide data on duration of follow-up or quantified improvements in self-injury, suicidal ideation, or other outcomes.
Abstract
Aims Crystal House is a specialist CAMHS ID inpatient 5-bedded unit based in the Kingswood Centre, North West London - for children aged between 13 and 18 years with primary diagnosis of Intellectual Disabilities with or without additional concerns that warrant admission to hospital for purpose of assessment and management. Reporting this case, we wanted to highlight complexities of management of children presenting with neurodevelopmental conditions and history of trauma. Methods This is a case of a fourteen-year-old girl with established diagnoses of Moderate Intellectual Disability, Childhood Autism, Foetal Alcohol Syndrome and childhood trauma. She was admitted to our CAMHS ID Assessment and Treatment Unit with a nine- year history of self-injurious behaviour, suicidal ideation and voice-hearing experiences – after failed treatment in the community and in-patient treatment (including under restrictions of long-term segregation) on generic CAMHS unit. Her current treatment includes a person-centred Trauma- Informed Positive Behaviour Support Plan; individual and family therapy psychology sessions based on the principles of trauma-informed care and consultation with staff on trauma-informed care. She also undertook ADHD assessment, and we are in the process of optimising ADHD medication. Results Trauma-Informed Positive Behaviour Support Plan was a new concept for the team. Therefore, this was supported by training and consultations with staff. The latter was introduced to create a psychologically oriented environment using trauma-informed care principals and helping the team understand what trauma means and how it affects the individual. ADHD assessment confirmed the diagnosis of ADHD which was followed by optimising ADHD medication. Conclusion Systemic and a person-centred approach is used for this child with concerning presentation and history of neurodevelopmental disorder and childhood trauma.
Findings the Hub has extracted
Each claim below is labelled by its type of design and links back to this report.
- Intervention
- Trauma-Informed Positive Behaviour Support Plan combined with individual and family therapy based on trauma-informed care principles, staff training and consultation on trauma-informed care, and ADHD assessment with medication optimisation
- Population
- One 14-year-old girl with moderate intellectual disability, childhood autism, fetal alcohol syndrome, and childhood trauma
Key finding
Trauma-Informed Positive Behaviour Support Plan was implemented as a new approach for the unit