By Lindsay Braman, February 15, 2021
By now, most counselors, pediatricians, teachers, and other people who work with children know about ACES: The “Adverse Childhood Experiences” scale. ACE’s predict, based on measuring the number of traumatic or adverse events experienced, which kids are likely to struggle developmentally and emotionally as they mature. (You can take the ACES quiz here).
New results from a survey based on a study of 6188 adults at Johns Hopkins shows that there are 7 childhood experiences that can be statistically linked to good mental health in adults.
What has been less well understood is why a small percentage of kids with high ACE scores have normal development and good adult emotional health. What factors created a level of resiliency in these kids that helped them to survive and thrive despite difficult childhoods?
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