Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) in education training is designed to provide educators with a better understanding and insight into what ACEs are and how they may impact children and young people.
ACEs are traumatic experiences which take place during childhood or teenage years. ACEs have been found to be linked to poor outcomes in later life including experiencing mental health difficulties, substance and alcohol misuse, chronic health problems and presenting with antisocial behaviour. Schools and school staff hold such an important role in supporting the emotional health and wellbeing of children and young people. It is important for educators to understand what ACEs are and the impact they can have on children in the classroom and education setting so they can be better supported. Educators can also help to reduce the impact of ACEs by being trauma and ACE informed and responding appropriately.
ACEs can be caused by many factors in early life, which commonly undermine a child’s sense of safety and stability, and include:
- Experiencing / witnessing violence
- Experiencing neglect
- Experiencing abuse such as physical or sexual abuse
- Losing a family member to suicide / witnessing a death
- Community adverse experiences such as homelessness, economic deprivation and oppression
- Witnessing substance and alcohol abuse
- Parental poor mental health
- Instability due to a broken home caused by parental separation or family members being in prison
How ACEs can impact a child’s emotional health, wellbeing, and relationships
Children who have experienced complex childhood trauma and adverse experiences will often experience toxic stress which can negatively impact a child’s brain during development, affecting a number of their systems including their stress response system and their cognitive functioning. These can affect an individual’s ability to concentrate and pay attention and make it difficult to navigate and focus on the curriculum.
Children growing up with ACEs may find it difficult forming and maintaining healthy, reciprocal, relationships in education and later in life.
What are ACEs in Education Training?
A key focus of ACE in education training is to highlight the potential impact that adverse childhood experiences may have on children and young people. Support is also provided to the education system to develop trauma informed practice. Trauma informed practice is a key tool in supporting children who have experienced ACEs to feel safe, secure and to develop skills to manage and regulate their emotions.
It is crucial for educators to understand the importance of trauma-informed practice in schools to mitigate the impact of ACEs on children and young people. Implementing trauma-informed practice in schools will take time, commitment and learning from everyone in the school system.
The benefits of implementing ACE training in educational settings include improving academic achievement, creating a feeling of safety for children and young people who have experienced trauma, supporting children and young people to develop key skills in emotional literacy and avoiding re-traumatising children through policies that are not trauma sensitive.
How can we help with ACE in Education Training?
We have a range of comprehensive courses and training material suitable for all organisations that work with children and young people who have lived through adverse childhood experiences.
Our team consists of a number of experienced psychologists and psychological therapists trained in various therapeutic disciplines.
If you would like more information on our training program and how they can help the needs of your particular education setting, please contact us via our contact form or email us at hello@meadowspsychologyservice.co.uk.
