Application of ACE Score & Childhood Trauma in Human Development Essay

How can trauma, as reflected in your ACEs score, affect physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development across the lifespan? 

To do this, first watch and take notes on the following video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95ovIJ3dsNk&t=785sLinks to an external site.

Afterward, take the ACES quiz: https://americanspcc.org/take-the-aces-quiz/Links to an external site.

If you have a trauma history, you may skip taking the quiz and write about ACES in ways that do not relate to you by creating examples that connect to the points outlined. You do not have to take it, but you do have to review it and become familiar with it. 

Write a reflection in which you address how this score can affect the physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development outlined in our text. You do not have to share your score or traumatic experiences with me. If you feel it will add to your writing and feel comfortable, you are more than welcome to share your stories. 

You can write in ways that allude to a score without saying it. For example, if my ACES score is a 6 or 7 and I do not want to share it, I could write: “An individual with an ACES score of 7 with sexual trauma might shut off emotionally from their parents and peers. In addition, they might see a decline in grades. An individual who experienced a parent insulting and hitting them in the home may feel isolated and be at risk of depression. In my experience, similar experiences caused me to develop eating disorders and may put me at risk for diseases in the future. Individuals with high ACES scores have been linked to a lifelong risk of heart disease, diabetes, etc.” 

Another way to do this is to state and share your experience. For example, “I have an ACES score of 7 and experienced a chaotic childhood home. From an early age, my parents put me down with insults so much that I thought it was normal. In retrospect, I was a shut-down and withdrawn child who doubted myself constantly. I developed anxiety, eating disorders, and depression. Socially, I sought out older friends who introduced me to drugs and alcohol. Our course text highlights how important warm, supportive parenting is from birth to age 18, something I did not have. As an adult, I see how that has hurt me and my choices.”

These are just examples. Be sure to cover all four areas of development; physical, cognitive, social, and emotional.