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Dr. Bruce Perry and Dr. Nadine Burke     important or special? or Your    see the results of toxic stress and the
          Harris, we in education are finally start-  family didn’t look out for each   ensuing malfunctioning stress response
          ing to pay attention.                    other, feel close to each other,    system in the forms of obesity, chal-
          Between 1995 and 1997, Drs. Felitti      or support each other?           lenging behavior, violence, asthma, and
          and Anda began to compile data related        No__ If Yes, enter 1 __     even school shootings. Our communi-
          to Adverse Childhood Experiences       5. Did you often or very often feel   ties have seen enough and it is now
          (ACEs). They eventually developed        that… You didn’t have enough     time to act. (Center on Developing
          the ACE Questionnaire consisting of      to eat, had to wear dirty clothes,   Child, Harvard University).
          10 questions to determine exposure to    and had no one to protect you?   Current research has provided a better
          specific life experiences. From the data   or Your parents were too drunk or   understanding of the science to propel
          collected, they were able to correlate   high to take care of you or take   us forward. Our communities are anx-
          ACE scores with certain health condi-    you to the doctor if you needed it?  ious for us to act. A relationship-based,
          tions and diseases. We now understand        No__ If Yes, enter 1 __      trauma-informed approach may be just
          that elevated ACE scores in children                                      what the doctor ordered. The impor-
          can cause a variety of health conditions   6. Were your parents ever      tant components necessary to address
          including growth and cognitive delays,   separated or divorced?           this important issue would include:
          sleep disturbances, asthma, infections,        No__ If Yes, enter 1 __    exercise, proper nutrition, adequate
          heart disease, diabetes, learning dif-  7. Was your mother or stepmother:   sleep, meditation, healthy relationships
          ficulties, behavioral problems, obesity,   Often or very often pushed,    and mental healthcare. Schools can
          violence and high-risk behavior in teens.   grabbed, slapped, or had some-  integrate this care by creating safety,
          (The Deepest Well, p 35-37, 142-143).    thing thrown at her? or Sometimes,   helping students emotionally regulate,
          Current research tells us about 62% of   often, or very often kicked, bitten,   relationship-building, creating predict-
          the U.S. population has experienced 1    hit with a fist, or hit with something   ability and routine, resiliency skills
          or more ACEs and approximately 25%       hard? or Ever repeatedly hit over at   training, social-emotional learning and
          have experienced 3 or more ACEs.         least a few minutes or threatened   post-traumatic growth. (echoparent-
          (JAMA Pediatrics 2018).                  with a gun or knife?             ing.org). Schools, however, cannot do

          What Is Your ACE Score?                   No__ If Yes, enter 1 __         this alone. We need the cooperation of
                                                                                    the entire community, and we need to
          See below to determine your ACE        8. Did you live with anyone who was   begin with education and training. Ide-
                                                   a problem drinker or alcoholic, or
          score:                                   who used street drugs?           ally, the best way to treat toxic stress
                                                                                    is through prevention. We must work
          Prior to your 18th birthday:              No__ If Yes, enter 1 __         together to find ways to reduce the
            1. Did a parent or other adult in the   9. Was a household member       stress and provide support to the buff-
              household often or very often…       depressed or mentally ill, or did   ering adults in the lives of our at-risk
              Swear at you, insult you, put you    a household member attempt       children. Toxic stress and trauma may
              down, or humiliate you? or Act in    suicide?                         be the most pressing public health is-
              a way that made you afraid that        No__ If Yes, enter 1 __        sue facing modern society today, and
              you might be physically hurt?                                         there is no time to waste!
               No__ If Yes, enter 1 __          10. Did a household member go to    Further Supporting Our
                                                   prison?
            2. Did a parent or other adult in        No__ If Yes, enter 1 __        Students with High ACEs
              the household often or very
              often… Push, grab, slap, or throw   Now add up your “Yes” answers: ____   Scores
              something at you? or Ever hit you   This is your ACE Score            Students are exhibiting signs of toxic
              so hard that you had marks or    (AcesTooHigh.com)                    stress in schools, and teachers are
              were injured?                                                         often ill-equipped to support students.
               No__ If Yes, enter 1 __         What Does Your ACE Score             We are seeing increasing numbers of
                                               Mean?
            3. Did an adult or person at least                                      behavioral difficulties in our youngest
                                                                                    learners, many of these leading to vio-
              5 years older than you ever…     Students who experience multiple     lent outbursts. Teachers want to better
              Touch or fondle you or have      ACEs without the support of a buffer-  support students, but are often lacking
              you touch their body in a sexual   ing, caring adult relationship can
              way? or Attempt or actually have  cause what is known as toxic stress.   the background knowledge and train-
              oral, anal, or vaginal intercourse   When very high levels of stress are   ing to understand the “why” behind the
                                                                                    behavior. According to Dr. Bruce Perry,
              with you?                        either continuous or severe in nature,   a key component to healing is the
               No___If Yes, enter 1 __         the stress-response system becomes   building of healthy relationships. He
                                               dysregulated and has trouble shutting
            4. Did you often or very often feel   itself off. As a result, long-term dam-  says, “The more healthy relationships
              that… No one in your family      age can occur to the developing body   a child has, the more likely he will be
              loved you or thought you were    and to the pathways in the brain. We   to recover from trauma and thrive. Re-



                                            Educational Viewpoints       -29-       Spring 2019
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