Your Number Story

SPOTLIGHT

Oprah Winfrey and Dr. Nadine Burke Harris talk ACEs.

HOLIDAYS CAN BE HARD

The Science
of ACEs

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are highly stressful and potentially traumatic experiences that can happen to any of us before we turn 18. An ACE can be a single event. Or they can be an ongoing struggle where our safety, security, trust, or even our very sense of self is threatened or violated.

When those adverse experiences aren’t buffered by a caring adult or supportive environment — or when they’re ongoing or overwhelming — they can cause a toxic stress response. That response can affect a child’s developing brain and body and have a negative ripple effect on health and life outcomes as an adult.

If you’d like to learn more about the science behind various aspects of ACEs and toxic stress, click into a topic below. 

BASICS
BIOLOGY
Beyond the 10
EPIGENETICS
RESILIENCE
COVID-19

Click here to learn more about our team