--- title: Why Trauma-Informed Care for Intellectual and Developmental Disability Organizations? description: Overview of Dr. John Keesler's 2014 journal article, “A Call for Integration of Trauma-Informed Care Among Intellectual and Developmental Disability Orgs” image: https://blog.traumaticstressinstitute.com/hubfs/Keesler%20and%20Article%20v5%20(1200%20%C3%97%20630%20px).png --- [![Traumatic Stress Institute](https://blog.traumaticstressinstitute.com/hs-fs/hubfs/tsi-logo-transparent-sm-3.png?width=1500&height=329&name=tsi-logo-transparent-sm-3.png "Traumatic Stress Institute")](https://traumaticstressinstitute.org/) - [About](https://www.traumaticstressinstitute.org/about-2/) - [Vision - Mission - Values](https://www.traumaticstressinstitute.org/about-2/mission/) - [Traumatic Stress Institute Staff](https://www.traumaticstressinstitute.org/about-2/staff/) - [TSI Faculty Trainers](https://www.traumaticstressinstitute.org/about-2/rc-faculty-trainers/) - [Sidran](https://www.traumaticstressinstitute.org/sidran-redirect/) - [History of Traumatic Stress Institute](https://www.traumaticstressinstitute.org/about-2/company-history/) - [Klingberg Family Centers](https://www.traumaticstressinstitute.org/about-2/klingberg-family-centers/) - [Careers](https://www.traumaticstressinstitute.org/careers/) - [Trauma-Informed Care](https://www.traumaticstressinstitute.org/what-is-trauma-informed-care/) - [What Is Trauma Informed Care?](https://www.traumaticstressinstitute.org/what-is-trauma-informed-care/) - [Trauma-Informed Care for Organizations](https://www.traumaticstressinstitute.org/trauma-informed-care-for-organizations/) - Risking Connection - [RC 25th Anniversary](https://www.traumaticstressinstitute.org/rc-25th-anniversary/) - [Risking Connection Change Model to Trauma-Informed Care – Standard](https://www.traumaticstressinstitute.org/services/risking-connection-change-model/) - [IDD Organizations & Systems](https://www.traumaticstressinstitute.org/services/risking-connection-change-model-idd/) - [Current Client Agencies of the Traumatic Stress Institute](https://www.traumaticstressinstitute.org/services/whole-system-transformation-to-trauma-informed-care-tic/agencies-using-rc-as-training-model/) - [Risking Connection® (RC) Training](https://www.traumaticstressinstitute.org/risking-connection-training/) - [Restorative Approach® (RA) Training](https://www.traumaticstressinstitute.org/services/restorative-approach-training/) - [ARTIC Scale](https://www.traumaticstressinstitute.org/the-artic-scale/) - [Training Events](https://traumaticstressinstitute.org/events/) - [Trainers' Corner](https://traumaticstressinstitute.org/trainers-corner/) - [Blog](https://blog.traumaticstressinstitute.com/blog) - [Books](https://www.traumaticstressinstitute.org/books/) - [Helplines](https://www.traumaticstressinstitute.org/hotline-list/) - [Contact](https://traumaticstressinstitute.org/contact/) ### Subscribe to updates ### Categories - [Whole-System Change (52)](https://blog.traumaticstressinstitute.com/blog/tag/whole-system-change) - [Measurement & Research (27)](https://blog.traumaticstressinstitute.com/blog/tag/measurement-research) - [Mindfulness (24)](https://blog.traumaticstressinstitute.com/blog/tag/mindfulness) - [IDD Organizations (11)](https://blog.traumaticstressinstitute.com/blog/tag/idd-organizations) - [Crisis Response (8)](https://blog.traumaticstressinstitute.com/blog/tag/crisis-response) - [Head Start (8)](https://blog.traumaticstressinstitute.com/blog/tag/head-start) - [Insider (1)](https://blog.traumaticstressinstitute.com/blog/tag/insider) See all This is a search field with an auto-suggest feature attached. - There are no suggestions because the search field is empty. ### Recent Posts [![Title of Journal Article by Dr. John Keesler, with picture of him inset ](https://blog.traumaticstressinstitute.com/hubfs/Keesler%20and%20Article%20v5%20(1200%20%C3%97%20630%20px).png)](https://blog.traumaticstressinstitute.com/blog/why-trauma-informed-care-for-intellectual-and-developmental-disability-organizations) # [Why Trauma-Informed Care for Intellectual and Developmental Disability Organizations?](https://blog.traumaticstressinstitute.com/blog/why-trauma-informed-care-for-intellectual-and-developmental-disability-organizations) May 8, 2023 / by [Steve Brown, PsyD](https://blog.traumaticstressinstitute.com/blog/author/steve-brown-psyd) As ABA and IDD providers recognize the centrality of trauma in the lives of those they support, the natural next question is, “So what do we do about it?”In 2014, Dr. John Keesler, now a professor at Indiana University School of Social Work, published a journal article entitled, “A Call for Integration of Trauma-Informed Care Among Intellectual and Developmental Disability Organizations.” Seeing the explosive growth of trauma-informed care (TIC) in other sectors, Dr. Keesler – who started his career as a DSP – laid out the case for TIC in IDD organizations. Sadly, many don't know about this important article. Although published 10 years ago, Dr. Keesler’s article is as relevant today as as it was then. We owe John much gratitude for his visionary work. Some of its main points are briefly summarized here, but I urge you to read it in full: - The article defines TIC as **an organizational/system focused response** to address the impact of trauma in the lives of individuals. It also recognizes that TIC addresses trauma’s impact on service providers. - It highlights the **critical importance of DSPs** and their need for more training about trauma and attention to help for the helper. - It outlines the **5 principles of TIC – safety, trustworthiness, choice, collaboration, and empowerment** **–** and their relevance to IDD organizations. - It reviews the **effectiveness of TIC and some of the barriers to its implementation in IDD,** such as the legacy of paternalism and demand for compliance. - It talks about the growing **value in the IDD field placed on quality of life and person-centered practices which align well with TIC principles.** **[![Read Dr. Keesler's Full Article](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/6854647/781f1961-42fb-4bad-b4f0-48fdb133b945.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/6854647/781f1961-42fb-4bad-b4f0-48fdb133b945)** [The Traumatic Stress Institute](https://www.traumaticstressinstitute.org/services/idd-whole-system-transformation-to-trauma-informed-care/) has partnered with John Keesler and other national IDD thought leaders to support IDD organizations in TIC system change. What we know is that TIC has the potential to increase staff retention, reduce restraints, reduce staff injuries, and increase individual and family satisfaction with services. To promote conversations about this exciting work in the IDD sector, TSI will be hosting an informational webinar entitled *Trauma-Assumed Behavior Analysis for People with IDD: From Trauma-Inducing to Trauma Reducing* by Dr. Greg Hanley on May 16th from 3-4 p.m. ET. Despite unprecedented registration for the upcoming webinar, **there is still some room**.  [![      Webinar Registration      ](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/6854647/55a0d2d4-81d1-4184-9286-a0910dfd4e4a.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/6854647/55a0d2d4-81d1-4184-9286-a0910dfd4e4a) Tags: [Whole-System Change](https://blog.traumaticstressinstitute.com/blog/topic/whole-system-change), [IDD Organizations](https://blog.traumaticstressinstitute.com/blog/topic/idd-organizations) ![Steve Brown, PsyD](https://blog.traumaticstressinstitute.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Headshot%20SB%20Thumbnail.jpeg?width=100&height=100&name=Headshot%20SB%20Thumbnail.jpeg) #### Written by [Steve Brown, PsyD](https://blog.traumaticstressinstitute.com/blog/author/steve-brown-psyd) Steve Brown, Psy.D., is the Director of the Traumatic Stress Institute of Klingberg Family Centers. A clinical psychologist, he is a primary architect of TSI’s internationally-recognized whole-system change process to trauma-informed care. He is a co-creator, with Dr. Courtney Baker, of the Attitudes Related to Trauma-Informed Care (ARTIC) Scale, one of the first psychometric measures of TIC. He trains professionals nationally on psychological trauma and trauma-informed care. In addition to being a psychologist, he is a long time sexuality educator/trainer and author of Streetwise to Sex-Wise: Sexuality Education for High Risk Youth, a sexuality education curricula used internationally by agencies and schools serving high-risk youth. Copyright 2026 | Traumatic Stress Institute