Topeka, KS: Adverse Childhood Experiences AT HOME impact behavior at school

Nov 5, 2017, Topeka (KS) Capital-Journal: How many Kansas children experience trauma before age 18? Nearly half, report shows http://cjonline.com/news/local/education/2017-11-05/how-many-kansas-children-experience-trauma-age-18-nearly-half-report Forty-five percent of Kansas children under the age of 18 suffer an adverse childhood experience, according to a recent analysis by the Child & Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative, putting the state in line with the national figure of 46 percent. Such adverse experiences, or ACEs, “include a range of experiences that can lead to trauma and toxic stress and impact children’s brain development and physical, social, mental, emotional, and behavioral health and well-being,” the report said. Educators with Topeka Unified School District 501 have been working to address the prevalence of students’ ACE scores at Pine Ridge Prep and Sheldon Child Development Center. In last year’s applications, more than half of the children came from single-parent households and 30 percent had been exposed to domestic violence, said Shanna McKenzie, Sheldon’s lead principal for early childhood education. … … McKenzie said teachers have undergone training to become more informed about trauma and more responsive as they address issues. … The two centers also began educating parents about the ACE questionnaire. Parents fill out their ACE score and their child’s. Staff discuss implications, including the cycle of trauma. ACEs are common and should be talked about, McKenzie said. The district plans on rolling out the optional test to all parents of its students at some point. Education is the first step, McKenzie said, as parents may not even realize they are perpetuating their negative experiences onto their children. …