Relieving Violent Trauma of Teenager with Autism & Downs Syndrome

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It’s Not “Talk” Therapy

By Nora J. Baladerian, PhD

As the 17-year-old boy flopped into a chair in my office, I knew right away TFT was the right therapy to help him. A victim of violence by his day-program worker, he is an African-American boy, quiet, very engaging and cute!

He was also born with Downs Syndrome and Autism.

He lives with both of his parents and a younger sister in Los Angeles. To communicate, he uses sign language and a communication board to spell out, letter by letter, any words he wants to say—as his verbal output does not always match what he intends to say.  He also uses sign language (finger spelling) and some American Sign Language.

Because of the moderate level of mental retardation that he has, I knew “typical” talk therapy would not work to help him recover from his trauma. Continue reading “Relieving Violent Trauma of Teenager with Autism & Downs Syndrome”

TFT Relieves Rape Trauma of Boy with Downs Syndrome

The following is an article by Nora Baladerian, PhD, TFT-Dx, from “The Thought Field” newsletter Vol. 15, Issue 3:

One day, now several years ago, I received a referral to work with a
 young man who had recently been raped. He has Downs Syndrome with severe mental retardation, and extremely limited expressive language.

Since the rape, he had been severely depressed, and had acquired a condition of severe pain upon urination. His mother had taken him to the GP, to the urologist, and several tests had been done to ascertain the cause of the pain. They found no physical source for the pain.

His countenance was down, one could almost see the draw down of 
the depression and trauma he was 
feeling. Continue reading “TFT Relieves Rape Trauma of Boy with Downs Syndrome”