Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) among College Students

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) among College Students: Implications for Learning, Mood, Cognition, and Physical Health

Speaker: Jerrod Brown of Concordia University, St. Paul, Minnesota

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) (e.g., household dysfunction, abuse, neglect, witnessing violence in the home or community) are traumatic events occurring prior to the age of 18 and are related to long-term negative cognitive, developmental, behavioral, social, and physical health outcomes. Research has also found that elevated rates of ACEs are common among college students. Designed for education professionals, this training provides attendees with an overview of the ACEs research and its impact on college students. A review of practical tips, strategies, and solutions that can be utilized when working with college students will be discussed. Other relevant topics of interest discussed include prenatal trauma, complex and developmental trauma, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), complex PTSD (CPTSD), toxic stress, nervous system, dysfunction, rumination, attachment dysregulation, alexithymia, mentalization deficits, executive functioning limitations, sleep disturbances, self-regulation problems, theory of mind (ToM) limitations, language development issues, hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis dysregulation, suicidality, shame, empathy, resilience, and trauma informed care strategies among others. All aforementioned discussions are grounded in empirical research findings.