Reactivity, ACEs & OCA

Standing on Our Core Assumptions

• Reactive: I'm not good enough (no matter what)
• Powerful: I can trust my own wisdom (no matter what)

Frequency of Reactive Behavior

• Overly defensive reactions and heightened negative engagement
• Poor self-regulation and increased class disruptions

ACE Study

• Ten Question Survey of Adverse Childhood Experiences yields an ACEs Score

Adverse Childhood Experiences

• Physical, Emotional Abuse or Neglect...
• Substance Abuse or Violence in the home...

Adverse Childhood Experiences

• Loss of a parent through separation or divorice
• Mental illness or incarceration of someone in the home...

ACEs Score

• The higher the ACEs, the higher the long-term impact on the brain and physical health

Toxic Stress Correlations

• Long-term health issues: higher incidences of diabetes, heart disease, depression, addiction, suicide, etc.

Toxic Stress Correlations

• High levels of cortisol -- stress-response hormone in the brain -- impact ability to learn, regulate emotion, socialize, etc.

Trauma-Informed

• Students’ actions are a direct result of their experiences, and when students act out or disengage, the question we should ask is not “what’s wrong with you,” but rather“what happened to you?”

There is Hope

• Those with high ACE scores are not doomed...
• The number one antidote for those who have been exposed to adverse childhood experiences is...

One Caring Adult

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