Neuropsychological Findings in Pediatric Maltreatment: Relationship of PTSD, Dissociative Symptoms, and Abuse/Neglect Indices to Neurocognitive Outcomes – Although maltreated children represent a small percentage of the pediatric population, the effects of maltreatment on an individual and society are disproportionately high (Wang & Holton, 2007). Developmental traumatology is the systemic investigation of the psychobiological impact of chronic interpersonal violence on the developing child (De Bellis, 2001). This field provides a theoretical framework for increasing our understanding of psychopathology, brain differences, and neuropsychological deficits associated with child maltreatment. In developmental traumatology research, youth identified as maltreated by child protective services (CPS) are an unfortunate naturalistic model of the psychobiological effects of chronic and severe stress in childhood.