Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are especially stressful events that occur to children. ACEs include different types of abuse and neglect as well as other kinds of stresses like living in a home where there is violence or where family members have mental illness or addiction. It is very common to have experienced at least one ACE while growing up. The more a person has experienced (which is sometimes measured in an “ACE score”), the more likely it is that the consequences of childhood experiences will contribute to physical and mental health problems in adulthood.
Here are some resources that may be valuable to learn more about ACEs, or to calculate your own ACE score.
Information about ACEs on the Web
US Centers for Disease Control
Robert Johnson Wood Foundation
Government of Canada Family Violence resources
Books
What Happened to You?: Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing by Bruce Perry MD and Oprah Winfrey
The Deepest Well: Healing the Long-Term Effects of Childhood Adversity by Nadine Burke Harris M.D.
Childhood Disrupted: How Your Biography Becomes Your Biology, and How You Can Heal by Donna Jackson Nakazawa
Measuring your ACE Score
Mental Health Resources
Mental health resources vary by region so we cannot provide comprehensive links to all resources. These links are a good guide to reputable resources where we live in Ontario, and in other provinces in Canada. If you are experiencing an emergency, the best resource is your nearest hospital emergency department.
Ontario, Canada – Child and Youth resources