When we think of trauma and it’s effects we often think of one or several traumatic events. Neurological research is showing that some children experience a kind of ongoing ambient trauma which impacts and feedbacks through different stages of their development from conception, in the womb, at birth, and in their earlier childhood years. My understanding of brain theory is that such complex and pervasive trauma is thought to become layered in the archeology of the brain throughout development. Behavioural symptoms reflect the levels of development which are affected. For example, if language is that main system under development at the time of trauma, then language is affected.
Various psychologists are currently lobbying for Pervasive Developmental Trauma to be included as a disorder in DSM-V, as such children meet some but not all of the criteria for PTSD. This is important as there is a large tendency for adopted children and children in care, who can display a wide range of disturbing behaviours, to be seen as ‘bad’ rather than as experiencing a challenging life process.
However, as well as having it’s advantages, there are also disadvantages of thinking in terms of ‘disorders’. Such state-oriented thinking can have the tendency to become deterministic i.e. that through such developmental disturbances the child is damaged goods, destined to behave badly or become a destructive citizen. That such states are seen as static, rather than as life processes with inherent mystery and potential for unfolding.
