ChesterCountyMedicineWinter2018 - 30

www.CHESTERCMS.org

THE CHESTER COUNTY

ACES COALITION
BY TRACY BEHRINGER

B

aby boomers may remember their
parents using the phrase, "you're
a product of your upbringing," to
explain common notions of that era. Today
there is research and brain science behind
the throwback expression, and a growing
understanding of how early life experiences,
especially childhood trauma, impact the
lifelong health and wellbeing of most
American adults.
The research began more than 20 years
ago with the Adverse Childhood Experiences
(ACEs) Study, which surveyed more than
17,000 adults about their experiences of
childhood abuse, neglect, violence, and

other stressful events. The results were
groundbreaking, linking such serious adversity
to an array of physical and mental health
problems, including heart disease, diabetes,
obesity, unintended pregnancy, alcoholism
and depression. The impact is also cumulative;
the more adverse experiences in one's
childhood, or the higher one's ACEs score,
the greater the possibility of disabilities and
dysfunction as an adult.
In the years since the ACEs study,
additional research has increased
understanding about the science of brain
development and trauma. Frequent or
prolonged exposure to ACEs causes toxic
stress, which damages developing brains and
affects a child's ability to learn and function in school.
Even with breadth of work in this area, many professionals
in healthcare, education and social services are unfamiliar with
the study or the far-reaching impact of ACEs. This information
gap is closing, however, through the efforts of groups like
Chester County's ACEs Coalition. Formed in January 2017, the
coalition includes representatives from local government, criminal
justice, and social service agencies, as well as health professionals
and educators. It is led by Home of the Sparrow, a non-profit
organization providing housing and supportive services to
homeless and low-income women. Chelsea Buckley, a Health and

30 CHESTER COUNT Y Medicine | WINTER 2018



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