Parents of autistic children demonstrate elevated traumatic stress symptoms but seldom receive diagnoses of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or complex-PTSD. Accurate assessment of Criterion A is essential for a valid diagnosis of these disorders. However, it is uncertain whether Criterion A, as defined by the DSM-5-TR and ICD-11, adequately captures the unique experiences of these parents. These experiences can include chronic child aggressive meltdowns, absconding, self-harming, and societal stigma, which do not readily fit into the DSM and ICD criteria that include traumatic events such as natural disasters, serious accidents, terrorist acts, war/combat, rape, or other violent personal assaults.
This presentation reports on findings from a study in which ten Australian psychologists independently rated parents’ self-reported traumatic events related to parenting, using the Life Events Checklist for Criterion A according to DSM-5-TR and ICD-11. Two hundred parents of autistic children were randomly selected from a larger dataset, all meeting symptom thresholds for either PTSD or complex-PTSD related to their self-reported parenting-related trauma. Inter-rater reliability (IRR) varied from poor to moderate, with ICD-11 showing significantly higher reliability than DSM-5-TR for Criterion A. This indicates that the ICD-11 may better capture the traumatic experiences of parents of autistic children. The clinical and research implications of these findings, along with future recommendations, will be highlighted.