Children who experience traumatic experiences in their childhood are much more likely to be diagnosed with health issues and more seriously deadly diseases later in life. Both pediatricians Nadine Burke Harris and Dr. Kenneth Ginsburg argue that Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES) can have serious health implications decades later in life. ACES include traumatic situations like abuse, neglect, death, living with someone who struggles with substance abuse, etc. It is all the more important that children receive the right attention and care in these early stages of childhood when they are experiencing this kind of trauma. Not only to ensure that they are supported, but in order to fight for their health in the long term. 

Dr. Nadine Burke Harris in her TEDtalk above argues how these ACES negatively impact the brain at a young age. As a result, students who experience trauma are automatically have a higher risk of having heart disease, mental illness, and chronic illness. While some people might argue that it makes sense because these situations can lead people to become dependent on drugs or alcohol and experience depression, these pediatricians argue that there is much more going on at the neural level influencing the life span and experience of the individual as they grow older.

Understanding the future implications of ACES is so incredibly important because 2/3 of adults have at least one traumatic childhood experience. The chances of having a serious disease and/or mental illness increases rapidly as a result of ACES. Furthermore, children who have one ACE, there is an 87% chance that the child will experience more. 

The ACES Too High website claims in the section entitled, "ACES 101,"

Brain science shows that, in the absence of protective factors, toxic stress damages children’s developing brains. Stress is the body’s normal response to challenging events or environments. 

This makes it all the more urgent to enable students to be more resilient and overcome these adverse experiences. With regards to education, Dr. Ken Ginsburg argues that youth who have experience trauma are on average much more reactive in school settings. Dr. Ginsburg also claims that educators can provide a safe place for students who might have experienced trauma. Schools are often the settings where students have the ability to receive extra support and attention. 

Sources: 

Kenneth Ginsburg, M.D., M.S. Ed 

http://www.fosteringresilience.com/about.php

ACES Too High

Nadine Burke Harris TEDtalk