Handspring Health
January 9, 2025
October 23, 2023

What to Know about Childhood Trauma Tests

Medically reviewed by 

Amy Kranzler, PhD

, Nutrition - Written

by

Megan Martino

on

October 23, 2023

What to Know About Childhood Trauma Tests

If your child has experienced a trauma, you likely have many questions and concerns. Or perhaps you're wondering, "How do I figure out what my childhood trauma is?" Either way, you've likely come across several childhood trauma tests. These tests can be valuable and illuminating. But they aren’t a substitute for an assessment by a therapist.

Here, we’ll take a look at what to know about childhood trauma tests. We'll explain how clinicians diagnose and assess childhood trauma. We'll also provide some basic information about childhood trauma and its impacts. Most importantly, we’ll discuss how you or your child can begin the healing process from trauma.

What Is Childhood Trauma?

Before we discuss childhood trauma tests, it’s important to understand what childhood trauma is.

Sometimes childhood traumas are referred to as “adverse childhood experiences,” or ACEs. An ACE is any event or experience that is scary, violent, or threatening and happens before the age of 17. These can be events that a child experiences themself or that they witness.

ACEs affect a child’s brain development. They are linked to chronic health problems, mental illness, and substance misuse all the way into adulthood. 

What are the eight childhood traumas? Examples of childhood traumas that qualify as ACEs include:      

  • Emotional, physical, sexual, or verbal abuse
  • School violence
  • Violence in the community
  • Witnessing physical abuse, verbal abuse, sexual abuse, or domestic violence
  • Living through a natural disaster, act of war, or terrorism
  • Childhood neglect
  • Losing a loved one suddenly or due to violence
  • Experiencing a serious accident
  • Living with a severe illness or medical condition
  • Living in poverty
  • Living in an unstable household
  • Being raised by parents with substance abuse or mental health issues
  • Parental separation 
  • Incarceration 

Sadly, childhood trauma is more prevalent than many people realize. As many as two-thirds of children experience at least one traumatic event by the age of 16.

The more traumas a child experiences, the greater the impact. But even one childhood trauma can have significant effects.

Signs of Childhood Trauma in Children

What are three signs or symptoms of stress or trauma in children? Childhood trauma manifests in different ways for different children. Kids can’t always accurately articulate exactly what they are experiencing. What's more, the way trauma is experienced changes based on a child’s age. Young children show different signs and symptoms than older children.

Signs of trauma in young children may include:

  • An uptick in separation anxiety
  • Throwing more tantrums than usual
  • Changes in eating and sleeping patterns
  • Developmental regression

Symptoms of trauma in older elementary-aged kids can include:

  • Seeming more anxious or on edge than usual
  • Unusual feelings of shame or guilt
  • Difficulty focusing or paying attention
  • Sleeping issues and nightmares

Signs of trauma in tweens and teens can look like:

  • Symptoms of depression, anxiety, or loneliness
  • Engaging in self-destructive or self-harm behaviors
  • Signs of eating disorders or disordered eating
  • Substance abuse issues
  • Taking part in risky behaviors

The Impact of Childhood Trauma on Mental Health

Childhood trauma and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) can have significant and long-lasting impacts on a child's physical health, education, opportunities in life, and their ability to function well as an adult.

For example, people who experience childhood trauma are more likely to:

  • Experience substance use disorder
  • Contract an STI
  • Have trouble staying employed
  • Develop heart disease, cancer, or diabetes

In addition to these outcomes, childhood trauma can have profound impacts on mental health. Experiencing trauma or ACEs can cause a person to develop “toxic stress,” which is stress that’s experienced over a long period of time.

Toxic stress can affect child development and impact a child’s stress response. Children can develop issues with learning and decision-making. They may have trouble forming healthy relationships with others. They are also more likely to develop depression and anxiety disorders.

Childhood Trauma Tests

Many different childhood trauma tests can be found online. These tests usually require you or your child to answer some basic questions about your life.

The most common childhood trauma test is the Adverse Childhood Experiences questionnaire. You might hear people referring to their ACE score, or asking what a 7 ACE score means. If so, they're talking about this test.

The ACE test zeros in on various adverse childhood experiences, such as physical or sexual abuse, growing up in a home with a mentally unstable adult or experiencing childhood neglect. Studies have found that the more ACEs one has experienced, the greater the impact on mental health and overall well-being.

While these childhood trauma tests can be helpful, they are not diagnostic tools. They cannot serve as a substitute for mental health care with a licensed professional.

If you or your child is experiencing lasting symptoms of trauma, it’s important to follow up with a licensed therapist.

Examples of professional tools used in trauma assessment include:

  • Trauma Symptom Checklist For Children
  • UCLA PTSD Reaction Index
  • Acute Stress Checklist for Children (ASC-Kids)
  • Child Trauma Screening Questionnaire (CTSQ)
  • Child Stress Disorders Checklist (CSDC)
  • Child PTSD Symptom Scale (CPSS) for DSM5

How Do Clinicians Assess for Childhood Trauma?

If you believe you or your child has experienced trauma, you’ll want to be evaluated by a licensed therapist. If you don’t have access to a licensed therapist, your child may be able to see their pediatrician, a school counselor, or an intervention program like Head Start for a trauma assessment.

Not all traumas are the same. Many children do not require formal treatment after a traumatic experience. However, when treatment is needed, it’s important that children receive prompt and thorough treatment to support a healthy recovery from traumatic experiences. Children can recover from trauma, but the sooner they receive care, the better. 

Trauma screening for children may involve asking both you and your children a series of questions. These questions might be about the traumatic event itself or about your child’s behavior and reaction.

Therapists might not ask your child direct questions about their traumas. Many children will have trouble discussing their experiences at first. Instead, therapists will spend time observing your child and assessing them for childhood trauma symptoms.

Therapists use different systems of evaluating children for trauma. The type of assessment tools used may depend on the type of trauma your child is experiencing, as well as their symptoms and the timeline of when the trauma occurred.

There are several different types of trauma disorders in children. These include:

  • Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD): Persistent fear and avoidance due to trauma exposure.
  • Reactive attachment disorder (RAD): Difficulty forming healthy attachments, often linked to neglect.
  • Acute stress disorder (ASD): Acute, short-term symptoms occurring within one month of trauma.
  • Adjustment disorder: Stress-related emotional disturbances due to a specific event.

How Parents Can Help Childhood Traumas

If your child experiences trauma, it’s understandable that you’ll want to do whatever it takes to help them feel better. The good news is that parents can have powerful impacts on their child’s recovery.

Here are some tips for helping your child recover from trauma:

  • Teach your child to recognize signs of trauma, anxiety, and hypervigilance in their body and mind.
  • Assure your child that these symptoms are temporary. They should reach out to you or another trusted grown-up when they are feeling this way.
  • Make sure your child knows that the distressing feelings they feel are not their fault. They are not responsible for the trauma they experienced.
  • Teach your child exercises that help with these feelings. Practice deep breathing, meditation, or visualization together.

Therapy for Childhood Trauma

Once your child has been assessed for trauma, you can decide whether ongoing therapy is the next best step. Some children can recover on their own. But many children do need the assistance of a trained professional to heal from the experience of trauma.

There are many therapy modalities that can help with childhood trauma, including trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy. This type of therapy offers children a safe space to process the trauma they’ve experienced. It involves talking, playing, observing, and engaging in various therapeutic learning activities. Trauma-focused CBT teaches children how to become more aware of their symptoms and triggers. They will develop tools for managing their feelings.

As you help your child, don’t forget to care for your own needs. Supporting a traumatized child can be emotionally taxing. Parents should seek their own support systems, such as counseling or peer groups, to maintain resilience.

Resources to Help Parents Assess Their Child's Trauma History

You aren’t alone in helping your child heal from trauma. Don’t hesitate to reach out to your child’s school, their pediatrician, or trusted loved ones to support you on your journey.

Additionally, there are many resources for further assistance and help. Here are some tools to get you started:

If you need further support or assistance in helping a child who has experienced trauma, reach out for a free consultation from a licensed Handspring Health therapist today. Handspring Health therapists specialize in trauma treatment. They can offer you and your child the tools and support you need to heal from trauma in all of its forms.

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