Trauma Informed Practice
A tough childhood can hurt for many years.
Effects of Early Toxic Stress
Childhood abuse and neglect increases the chance of illness, substance abuse and early death in adults. The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study confirmed this connection. Childhood trauma contributes to physical and mental health issues including heart disease, lung cancer, diabetes, depression, violence, being a victim of violence, and suicide.
Screening Matters
You can learn how much your child is at risk of developing a chronic disease or social and emotional problems later in life with the ACE screening, which includes 10 questions identifying the most common childhood traumas.
Understanding the Score
The ACE score explains a person’s risk for chronic disease. Each type of trauma counts as one point. A score of 4 or higher greatly increases the risk of developing social, emotional and medical problems as an adult.
As a parent or guardian, you can also answer the screening questions. Find the screening here.
Use the Score as a Guideline
The screening does not take into account other major influences on health such as diet and genes, or other types of toxic stress such as homelessness. It also does not measure positive factors that can protect a child from trauma and lessen the long-term effects.
The ACE screening identifies trauma your child experienced and reinforces the need to seek treatment and family support to improve his or her long-term health outcomes
WHAT are Adverse Childhood Experiences?
Adverse Childhood Experiences /ACEs/ noun
– A term used to describe a wide range of factors which may occur in the home under the age of 18– such as emotional, physical, or sexual abuse; loss of a parent through divorce, death or incarceration; experiencing hunger or being exposed to violence – that can contribute to lifelong physical and behavioral health challenges. A child is more at risk for
ACEs when the child's parents experience stressors like social isolation, underemployment, lack of health care, depression or the inability
to access basic necessities.
Source: Prevent Child Abuse America
Click here
for Oprah's March 2018 Episode of CBS's 60 Minutes on Childhood Brain Trauma
"Healthy relationships – between adults and children, and adults and adults – are the critical factor that can prevent children from experiencing traumatic events, also known as Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). Research shows that ACEs, like child abuse and neglect, actually disrupt the development of a child’s growing brain."
"That is a key takeaway from this past Sunday’s 60 Minutes (3/11/18) segment on childhood trauma where Oprah interviewed Dr. Bruce Perry, Senior Fellow of the Child Trauma Academy and member of the Board of Directors of Prevent Child Abuse America."
Click here to read more from
Prevent Child Abuse America
The ACE Pyramid represents the conceptual
framework for the
ACE Study.
–From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ACE Information.