Tagged With "children with special needs"
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The Connection between Asthma and Toxic Stress
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Parenting Matters: Supporting Parents of Children Ages 0-8 (The National Academies Press 2016)
A study published by The National Academies of Sciences in 2016 resulting in 10 Recommendations to build support for parents... "Over the past several decades, researchers have identified parenting- related knowledge, attitudes, and practices that are associated with improved developmental outcomes for children and around which parenting- related programs, policies, and messaging initiatives can be designed. However, consensus is lacking on the elements of parenting that are most important...
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Parenting, Menopause & ACEs After-the-Chat Summary: Carey Sipp
Have you talked with friends, siblings or co-workers about Parenting with ACEs while going through the change? Do you have any fascinating facts to share about how your OBGYN prepared or supported you when thrown by midlife, hormonal shifts and emotional residue from traumatic stress? Me either. And it's a shame. A lot of people parent, go through menopause, and have survived a bunch of ACEs. Conversations and information shouldn't be so hard to find. But they are. T hat's the reason we...
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Parenting with PTSD One Liners & Parenting with ACEs Chat Reminder
Parents with PTSD from ACEs sharing what's hard about parenting while post-traumatically stressed: "Managing the terror around the possibility of everyone being a perp." "How to talk to children about why they won't meet X relative." “There was a point when I would feel completely overwhelmed by something as simple as having to make breakfast and school lunches at the same time.” "I didn't understand that not all parents reacted or were triggered the way I was." "was stone set on not...
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Parents’ Substance Abuse May Up Kids’ Risk of Medical & Behavioral Disorders [PsychCentral.com]
A new report finds that children whose parents or caregivers misuse alcohol or have a substance abuse problem face an increased risk of medical and behavioral problems. The study calls for pediatricians to take an active role in assessing a child’s risk and to support the family to get the help they need. Experts have known that children whose parents or caregivers misuse alcohol or use, produce or distribute drugs face an increased risk of medical and behavioral problems. In the new...
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Pediatric Symposium at National ACEs conference offers lessons learned and the way forward
To set in motion the Pediatric Symposium at the 2018 National ACEs Conference in San Francisco, Dr. Nadine Burke Harris, founder and CEO of the Center for Youth Wellness, told the audience of several hundred attendees that the American Academy of Pediatrics has made it very clear to its membership how critical it is that every pediatrician understand how toxic stress impacts the health of their patients. But, she said, when it surveyed its membership it found that only 11 percent knew about...
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Pediatricians can help children through separation and divorce [ChronicleNewspaper.com]
Pediatricians can support children whose parents are going through a divorce or separation by identifying the need for intervention and maintaining positive, neutral relationships with both parents, according to a new clinical report released by the American Academy of Pediatrics. More than 1 million American children annually are affected by their parents’ break-up and may suffer emotional trauma that requires extra support, according to the report, “Helping Children and Families Deal With...
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Pediatricians Knew About Family Separation Long Before the Public Did - And They Were Worried [psmag.com]
In the early months of 2018, a disturbing rumor traveled from the southern border of the United States into the office of Dr. Colleen Kraft: Pediatricians in the Southwest were reporting that they had begun to encounter migrant children whom the government had separated from their parents. The reports began to reach Kraft soon after she began her one-year term as president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, one of the country's foremost professional organizations of doctors dedicated to...
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Pediatricians screening for ACEs at Loma Linda University
Attached is the Whole Child Assessment which is being used by pediatricians to screen for ACEs at Loma Linda University. For further questions about the development or use of the WCA, please contact Ariane Marie-Mitchell at Loma Linda University, amariemitchell@llu.edu .
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Pediatricians Want Parents to Keep Children's Vaccination Appointments amid Coronavirus [people.com]
By Claudia Harmata, PEOPLE, April 17, 2020 With social distancing in full effect due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, parents are wondering if and when it’s OK to take their kids to the doctor, whether for a routine appointment or if their child is sick. While it’s important that families stay home when they can, health experts say parents should not skip routine appointments, especially those that involve vaccinations. “The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that we keep...
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Please stop saying parenting is hard for everyone & read Parenting with PTSD instead
Sometimes, we feel anxious, intrusive, or afraid when changing or bathing or own babies. Sometimes, we feel sick to our stomachs and worried while potty training, nurturing, or disciplining our toddlers. Sometimes, we feel shame-filled and ill-equipped when talking about puberty, body parts, or sexuality because of how and where we were compromised by caregivers as children as in our bodies, homes, and families. P arenting is brutally hard for some. If affection, attention and intimacy have...
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Positive Childhood Experiences offset ACEs: Q & A with Dr. Robert Sege about HOPE
Tufts University medical professor Dr. Robert Sege directs the Center for Community-Engaged Medicine and is nationally known for his research on effective health systems approaches that address social determinants of health. He is also the principal investigator for the HOPE framework (Healthy Outcomes from Positive Experiences).The HOPE framework is based on research that shows how positive childhood experiences can mitigate the effects of adverse childhood experiences. Sege and colleagues...
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Prescribing nature for health draws providers to Oakland, CA, conference
There’s now a growing body of research showing the positive health effects of nature. At a recent conference in Oakland, CA, clinicians who prescribe nature to help buffer ACEs and toxic stress experienced by children and families shared findings from their own research and others.
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Psychology Needs New Concepts and Healing Models for Racial Trauma [madinamerica.com]
The American Psychologist journal published a new special issue that features the latest psychological research on racial trauma. Feminist psychologist and clinical practitioner, Dr. Lillian Comas-Díaz and her colleagues, introduced the special issue and its mission to foreground novel conceptual models of racial trauma, promote healing on individual and collective levels, and highlight consideration of historical racial injuries. The special issue provides a contemporary examination of...
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Regulating the Teenage Mind: ACTIVITIES TO HELP TEENS SET GOALS, STAY ORGANIZED, AND KEEP THEMSELVES ON TRACK
Teenagers don’t yet possess the executive function skills of adults, but they probably need those skills just as much as adults do, or more. They have to manage the increasingly complex demands and fast-flying deadlines of school and...
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Reminder: Live Chat with Donna Jackson Nakazawa
"It's really not survival of the fittest - it's survival of the nurtured." Donna Jackson Nakazawa Date: Tuesday, November 14th, 2017 Time: 10 AM PST / 1 PM EST Where: Here / Chats ( featured chat ) Hosted by: @Jane Stevens Topics to be Covered: Parenting with ACEs. What parents need to know. Affordable self-care for stressed and busy parents. Healing from ACEs & family wellness. How to Attend Online Chats: M embers of ACEs Connection : Go to Chats (top of page). Find...
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Reminder! NPPC Pilot Site Applications are due Friday, March 1st!
Becoming a Pilot Site is a great way to get the support you need! Identify and implement an ACEs screening protocol that’s right for your practice and patient population Help your peers in the broader NPPC network by sharing data, best practices and insights from your pilot experience If you are ready to apply, please click the link below to access the application. NPPC Pilot Site Cohort 2 Application For more information, you can find the recording of our informational webinar and the...
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Report reveals how foster care, juvenile and adult justice systems traumatize youth, calls for policy shifts
YWFC sponsored Sister Warriors meeting When she was 15 years old, Lucero Herrera was put in a rehab program by San Francisco’s Juvenile Court because she was getting drunk regularly. And in doing so, the court failed to explore the root of her drinking. Had they done so, she said, they would have found that anger and trauma were lurking underneath, driven by her ACEs: adverse childhood experiences. Lucero Herrera "Why did they put me in a drug program when I had an anger problem? I went...
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Report reveals how foster care, juvenile and adult justice systems traumatize youth, calls for policy shifts
YWFC sponsored Sister Warriors meeting When she was 15 years old, Lucero Herrera was put in a rehab program by San Francisco’s Juvenile Court because she was getting drunk regularly. And in doing so, the court failed to explore the root of her drinking. Had they done so, she said, they would have found that anger and trauma were lurking underneath, driven by her ACEs: adverse childhood experiences. Lucero Herrera "Why did they put me in a drug program when I had an anger problem? I went...
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[Repost] Trauma-informed Care: It Takes More Than a Clipboard and a Questionnaire
California is about to launch an ambitious campaign to train tens of thousands of Medi-Cal providers to screen children and adults up to age 65 for trauma, starting on January 1, 2020. It is well-established that the early identification of trauma and providing the appropriate treatment are critical tools for reducing long-term health care costs for both children and adults. Research has shown that individuals who experienced a high number of traumatic childhood events are likely to die...
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Research roundup: Two-gen approach to depression; cross-sector collaboration for special health care needs; ACEs and resilience screening at a Vermont clinic, and more resilience
CC3.0/Urcomunicacion Incorporating Recognition and Management of Perinatal Depression Into Pediatric Practice Pediatrics Psychosocial Factors in Children and Youth With Special Health Care Needs and Their Families Pediatrics ACEs and Resilience: Increasing patient knowledge of Adverse Childhood Experiences and stress coping techniques University of Vermont Adverse childhood experiences and sources of childhood resilience: a retrospective study of their combined relationships with child...
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Resource list -- Books
Brandt, Joyelle and Daum, Dawn -- Parenting with PTSD: the impact of childhood abuse on parenting , 2017. " Our Mission: 1. To build a supportive community for parenting survivors, normalize the PTSD responses they may be having, and share resources for healing from adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) or other traumatic events. 2. To educate professionals working in the fields of physical, mental, and social health about common triggers that arise for parents with PTSD, and the challenges...
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Resource List -- Guides & Toolkits
AAP Trauma Toolbox for Primary Care -- This 6-part series was designed with the primary care practice in mind – those who may or may not be familiar with adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and the process of asking families about exposure to ACEs or other traumatic events. The series includes: Adverse Childhood Experiences and the Lifelong Consequences of Trauma (in Spanish ) Addressing Adverse Childhood Experiences and Other Types of Trauma in the Primary Care Setting (in Spanish ) The...
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Resource list -- Handouts & tools
ACEs and Toxic Stress in Spanish -- A Spanish-language overview from AAP of "toxic stress, how it affects the body's systems, and how we can promote resiliency in children to help protect against toxic stress." ACE Surveys (different types of) -- A list of the original ACE study, adapted surveys, and expanded surveys. Circle of Parents -- " Circle of Parents ® provides a friendly, supportive environment led by parents and other caregivers. It’s a place where anyone in a parenting role can...
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Resource list -- Practices/ Frameworks
Benchmarks NC -- " Benchmarks is an alliance of nationally accredited agencies committed to providing quality care, leadership, and accountability in services to children, adults and families in North Carolina. Member agencies of Benchmarks deliver a broad continuum of behavioral health, child welfare, education, development disabilities and residential support services." Center on the Developing Child , Harvard University -- "We are a multidisciplinary team committed to driving...
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Resource list -- Professional development
Alberta Family Wellness's Professional Development & Training -- " Researchers, practitioners, and policy-makers who work with children and families need opportunities to enhance their skills, explore new ideas, and make professional connections. To provide these opportunities, the AFWI partners with leading experts and institutions across North America representing a range of disciplines and sectors. These partnerships work to develop educational tools, curricula, and training programs...
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Resource: Screening for adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) in pediatric practices
Now that we know that trauma early in life can have a significant impact on an individual’s health and wellness throughout their life, health care organizations are beginning to focus on providing more trauma-informed care. Screening for adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) in pediatric, clinical settings promotes early intervention and can be a tangible entry point for organizations interested in providing trauma-informed care. The Center for Community Health and Evaluation is a nonprofit...
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Responding to the Mental Health Crisis among America’s Children
This is from the official blog of the American Board of Pediatrics: Thanks to all of you who responded to my last post about the mental health crisis among American children. Your comments confirm the impression I’ve...
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Review of ACE studies confirms supporting parent-child relationship is key
When health care providers screen their pediatric patients for ACEs, what interventions might help improve outcomes for children? Dr. Ariane Marie-Mitchell, a pediatrician in the Department of Preventive Medicine at Loma Linda University, and a colleague sought an answer to that question in a systematic review of studies that was published recently in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. As part of their inquiry, Marie-Mitchell and her co-investigator, Rashel Kostolansky , who was a...
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RYSE gathering: To promote healing from trauma, institutions need to stop seeing youth as the problem
A young man told clinical therapist Marissa Snoddy recently that when she calls him a leader, she got it all wrong. “He said, ‘I just came from Juvenile Hall,’ I’m not a leader.” But, she said, “We just kept giving him love. And we said, ‘You’re courageous for showing up and being here,’” The very fact that he was there, she explained, showed he was a leader. Snoddy related the anecdote recently for 80 people attending the Trauma and Learning Series launch led by Rising Youth for Social...
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Screening for ACEs in Pediatric Practice [American Academy of Pediatrics - CA Chapter 2]
By Ariane Marie-Mitchell, American Academy of Pediatrics, October 2019 In the August newsletter, we provided an overview of the definition and impact of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) (http://aapca2.org/aces). In this article, we will explore the argument in favor of screening for ACEs in pediatric practice, and describe the process and results of a California state advisory group on screening for trauma. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommended screening for toxic stress...
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Senate Resolution re Diaper Banks and National Diaper Network
May 14, 2019: Resolution Recognizes The Importance Of Diaper Banks And Providing Diapers To Families In Need Senate Resolution re Diapers RESOLUTION Expressing the gratitude of the Senate for the people who operate or support diaper banks and diaper distribution programs in their local communities. Whereas the lack of a sufficient clean diaper supply can adversely affect the physical, mental, and economic wellbeing of infants, toddlers, and their families; Whereas diapers are a material...
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September 2017 Special Issue of Academic Pediatrics: Child Well-Being and Adverse Childhood Experiences in the US
The United States is on the threshold of advancing much needed improvements in child and population well-being by addressing the epidemic of adverse childhood experiences and finding ways to come together, use what we know, and heal and catalyze a new epidemic of child and family flourishing. A special issue of Academic Pediatrics highlights new national research with inspiring commentaries across a wide range of leaders, each of whom calls out the critical importance of an immediate, strong...
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Beyond Trauma: Building Resilience to ACEs (brochure)
Wish you had a fairly easy and short way to share all about ACEs? Wish it was in-depth enough to share with teachers, doctors, nurses and therapists but not so long or jargony it puts family and friends to sleep? Here's the perfect thing to share when you've been all up in the faces with ACEs and want to back up your words before, during or after. This brochure is comprehensive but not so long that it remains in the "I'll get to it later," pile. Please feel free to print, forward, download...
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Birth and Attachment Book Review
A review of Myrna Martin's short and direct pamphlet about the importance and approach to "co-creating secure attachment". The book is available in four languages and can be found at www.myrnamartin.net/books
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Book review: "Once I was very, very scared," a book on childhood trauma
The past few years have brought a wealth of evidence for the impact of childhood trauma on lifelong health. The AAP has recognized the importance of childhood trauma with conferences (2015 Violence, Abuse and Toxic Stress: An Update on Trauma-informed Care in Children and Youth) and resources ( AAP Trauma Toolbox for Primary Care .) Like many pediatricians, I have been grateful for the attention to and evidence base for an area of pediatrics I see on a daily basis but for which I have felt...
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Book review: "Once I was very, very scared," a book on childhood trauma
The past few years have brought a wealth of evidence for the impact of childhood trauma on lifelong health. The AAP has recognized the importance of childhood trauma with conferences (2015 Violence, Abuse and Toxic Stress: An Update on Trauma-informed Care in Children and Youth) and resources ( AAP Trauma Toolbox for Primary Care .) Like many pediatricians, I have been grateful for the attention to and evidence base for an area of pediatrics I see on a daily basis but for which I have felt...
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Books Build Connections Literacy Toolkit
Former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton just left the podium at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) National Conference & Exhibition in San Diego, where she unveiled the Academys updated early literacy toolkit for pediatricians and parents, Books Build Connections. We wanted to share this announcement with you as soon as it was made so that you can take advantage of this new resource. Books Build Connections : whats in the...
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Bringing trauma-informed care to children in need can ease toxic stress [statnews.com]
During my 22 years as a pediatrician in an urban area, I have seen the worst of what America’s children must sometimes endure. Severe medical illness in children is thankfully rare. But severe adversity in homes and communities is all too common and causes toxic stress that has long-term consequences for my patients and future generations. A 6-year-old patient of mine called 911 on the third day that she and her younger siblings couldn’t wake their intoxicated mother. We cared for their...
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Building a Movement to Birth a More Just and Loving World [Groundswell March 2018]
The National Perinatal Task Force: Building a Movement to Birth a More Just and Loving World - In my 20 years as a public health nurse, I've never seen race called out so clearly in a report like this. Data has shown disparities, however the data was presented in a tidy way — very apolitical, purposely written to not ruffle any feathers or point fingers - " persistent racial gap ". This report written by The National Perinatal Task Force is refreshingly honest and this is important. We need...
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Building a Trauma-Informed Approach with Pediatric Physical Therapists
In the profession of physical therapy (PT), the word "trauma" typically leads one to think of the physical manifestations of a catastrophic injury, subsequent emergency medical care, and lengthy rehabilitation services. However, the psychological aspects of trauma are not always as visible. Throughout an individual’s lifespan, PTs will provide services to restore function, manage pain, and increase physical activity. We provide education, hands-on care, and therapeutic exercise to improve...
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Building trust is now a critical part of health care
In a video clip , a hospital patient turns away in protest as a physician enters the room. “Why do you all keep coming in my room!” she asks in frustration. The physician moves a chair out of the way and sits down at eye level with the patient. “You’ve had to see so many people,” he acknowledges. “And I’m tired of it!” she yells. “I already know I have to get both of my legs cut off. That’s what they keep saying. I don’t have a choice!” “You don’t feel like you have a choice,” he repeats...
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CA announces robust perinatal depression prevention for Medi-Cal recipients
Melinda Coates experienced a tumultuous pregnancy. “I was really mentally upset literally from day one (of the pregnancy),” she says. (Melinda Coates is a pseudonym. To protect her and her children’s privacy and safety, we are not using her real name.) Coates had hoped to get counseling last October, when she was seven months pregnant. That’s when she enrolled in the state’s Medi-Cal program, shortly after she and her abusive husband moved to California, “but nobody was able to get me in...
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CA announces robust perinatal depression prevention for Medi-Cal recipients
Melinda Coates experienced a tumultuous pregnancy. “I was really mentally upset literally from day one (of the pregnancy),” she says. (Melinda Coates is a pseudonym. To protect her and her children’s privacy and safety, we are not using her real name.) Coates had hoped to get counseling last October, when she was seven months pregnant. That’s when she enrolled in the state’s Medi-Cal program, shortly after she and her abusive husband moved to California, “but nobody was able to get me in...
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CA pediatrician develops, tests, gets state OK for whole-child assessment tool that includes ACEs
Over the last dozen years or so, many pediatricians, astounded by the ramifications of the science of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on the children they care for, began integrating this science into their practices. The most common approach has been to ask parents about ACEs using a questionnaire, and to use this information to counsel parents and identify resources for the family. Different practices have been using different questionnaires: Some ask parents for their ACE scores...
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CA pediatrician develops, tests, gets state OK for whole-child assessment tool that includes ACEs
[Editor's note: This blog was first posted in April 2017. Dr. Marie-Mitchell updated the assessment by modifying a few of the questions, so we are republishing with the new assessment, one in Spanish and one in English.] Over the last dozen years or so, many pediatricians, astounded by the ramifications of the science of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on the children they care for, began integrating this science into their practices. The most common approach has been to ask parents...
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California ACES Learning & Quality Improvement Collaborative (CALQIC) - Opportunity to be a part of the Learning Collaborative!
Apply to be a part of ACEs Aware's California ACES Learning & Quality Improvement Collaborative (CALQIC) In partnership with the UCSF Center to Advance Trauma-Informed Healthcare and other key partners, we'll select 15 organizations across California to participate in this 18-month learning collaborative to support clinics in screening for and responding to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) in children and adults. This is a challenging time, and we know that many of our health care...
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California has Begun Screening for Early Childhood Trauma, But Critics Urge Caution [sciencemag.org]
By Emily Underwood, Science, January 29, 2020 On 1 January, California became the first U.S. state to screen for adverse childhood experiences (ACEs)—early life hardships such as abuse, neglect, and poverty, which can have devastating health consequences in later life. The project is not just a public health initiative, but a vast experiment. State officials aim to cut the health impacts of early life adversity by as much as half within a generation. But critics say the health benefits of...