Defining the Role of Caregivers of Children with Adverse Childhood Experiences
By Alexa Hanley
This webpage was created as part of a doctoral capstone project in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Doctor of Occupational Therapy degree at the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences
What You Will Find
A Message From The Developer
Through this website, caregivers of children that have faced traumatic experiences (referred to as Adverse Childhood Experiences, or ACEs, throughout this webpage) will better understand their roles and responsibilities while their child receives occupational therapy services. You will be able to understand what adverse childhood experiences are and the developmental impact of traumatic experiences. This website will help you learn how to support your child’s occupational therapy services, advocate for your child’s needs, and promote engagement in daily activities.
Occupational therapy practitioners are also welcome to this webpage! For practitioners, you will find weekly log sheets to use with families, and tips for working within this population.
Lastly, this webpage does include PDF files to be utilized as downloads or print-outs. Please use the contact box to reach out with any questions, comments, or concerns!
Thank you so much!
Sincerely,
Future pediatric occupational therapist
Doctoral Capstone Prepared by Alexa Hanley
University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences
The Truth About Adverse Childhood Experiences
Currently, ACEs are the single greatest unaddressed public health threat facing the United States, with one in six adults reporting four or more events of traumatic experiences during childhood (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2019; Kennedy et al., 2011).
According to the National Survey of Children’s Health (2016), 45% of children in the United States have experienced one ACE, with one in ten children in the United States having experienced three or more ACEs (Sacks, 2018).
1 in every 4 elementary aged children has had at least 1 ACE. Children with three or more ACEs are three times more likely to fail in school related activities, four times more likely to experience health problems, five times more likely to be absent from school or leisure activities, and six times more likely to exhibit behavioral problems (Sciaraffa, Zeanah, & Zeanah, 2017; Roberts, 2019).
Exposure to childhood adversity and traumatic events affects the developing brains and bodies of children, which leads to negative impacts on health and development across the lifespan.
