​Please note: This information contains language, visuals, and statements regarding abuse and neglect, and may be activating/triggering. Please view with caution. Support resources can be found at the bottom of each page.

Resources on ACEs, Toxic Stress, and Resilience:
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**Please start here**:
Many have heard of the ACEs Study. It is important that we recognize the strengths and limitations of the study, and specifically, the intended use (and mis-use) of the ACEs Survey. Click here to watch a video of one of the Co-Principal Investigators, Dr. Rob Anda, share this information.

Learn about areas of the brain responsible for "Flipping our Lids" from Child Psychiatrist Dr. Dan Siegel by clicking here!

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) Study information
ACEs visuals/infographics:
Watch: Clips/videos that help us learn about ACEs, how our brains function during times of stress, and how to build resilience:
Websites: Resources for schools, caregivers, and communities:
Follow: Authors/Leaders in the field:
  • Nadine Burke-Harris MD, Physician and Surgeon General of California
  • Dr. Pat Ogden. Sensorimotor Psychotherapy
  • Dr. Janina Fisher
  • Dr. Ruth Lanius
  • William (Bill) Steele, MSW, PsyD, TLC/STARR Commonwealth: https://starr.org/​
  • Dr. Dan Siegel, Whole-Brain Child author
  • Dr. Bruce Perry, Child Trauma Academy: https://www.childtrauma.org/​
  • Dr. Bessel van der Kolk
  • Ross Greene PhD
  • Dr. Peter Levine, Somatic Experiencing
  • Dr. Jack P. Shonkoff, Harvard Medical School, Center for the Developing Child: https://developingchild.harvard.edu/​
  • Dr. Robert Rhoton, Arizona Trauma Institute
  • Dr. Sam Hermstein, Center for Adolescent Studies
  • Dr. Lori Desautels, https://revelationsineducation.com/​

Podcasts:
Books: for Educators, Caregivers, or any adult working with youth who have experienced trauma:
  • The Deepest Well-Dr. Nadine Burke-Harris, MD, MPH
  • The Body Keeps the Score-Bessel van der Kolk, MD
  • What Happened to You-Dr. Bruce Perry and Oprah
  • The Boy who was Raised as a Dog-Dr. Bruce D. Perry, MD, PhD and Maia Szalavitz
  • Childhood Disrupted-Donna Nakazawa
  • In an Unspoken Voice-Peter Levine, PhD (or anything written by Peter Levine)
  • It Didn't Start with You (Epigenetics)-Mark Wolynn
  • Practical Guide to Complex PTSD-​Dr. Arielle Schwartz
  • Supporting and Educating Traumatized Students-Eric Rossen, Robert Hull
  • Beyond Behaviors-Dr. Mona Delahooke
  • for Love-Dr. Bruce D. Perry, MD, PhD and Maia Szalavitz
  • The Deepest Well-Nadine Burke-Harris, MD
  • Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness: Practices for Safe and Transformative Healing-David Treleaven, PhD
  • Resilient-Rick Hanson, PhD (anything written by Rick Hanson)
  • Widen the Window: Training Brain and Body to Thrive During Stress and Recover from Trauma-Elizabeth Stanley, PhD
  • When Pleasing You is Killing Me-Dr. Les Carter
  • Working with Grieving and Traumatized Children and Adolescents-William Steele and Caelan Kuban
  • Reclaiming Youth at Risk: Our Hope for the Future-Brendtro, Brokenleg, and Van Brockern
  • Polyvagal Exercises for Safety and Connection, Deb Dana
  • Unwritten: The Story of a Living System-Dr. Lori Desautels, and Michael McKnight, MA
  • Connections over Compliance-Dr. Lori Desautels
  • The Explosive Child-Ross Greene, PhD (or anything written by Ross Greene)
  • Lost at School-Ross Greene, PhD
  • The Whole Brain Child-Daniel Seigel, MD, and Tina Payne-Bryson, PhD (Anything by these two authors)
  • No Drama Discipline-Daniel Seigel, MD, and Tina Payne-Bryson, PhD
  • The Yes Brain-Daniel Seigel, MD, and Tina Payne-Bryson, PhD
  • Fostering Resilient Learners-Kristin Souers and Pete Hall
  • Help for Billy-Heather Forbes
  • Teens Who Hurt-Kenneth Hardy, Kathy Lazloffy
  • Poor Students, Rich Teaching (and other books from author Eric Jensen)
  • ​Permission to Feel-Dr Marc Brackett (works specifically with increasing our Emotional Intelligence)

Resilience Factors (From Dr. Nadine Burke-Harris' book "The Deepest Well"):
How to combat ACEs:
1) Stop exposure to adversity
2) empower parent/guardian to be a buffer to toxic stress
3)Build coping skills and emotional competencies via social-emotional learning and increasing our "EQ" or Emotional Intelligence
4) Finding a skill or skills in which we feel confident and proud
5) Being part of and contributing to something bigger than ourselves (volunteer work, faith-based communities, tribal communities, athletics or performing arts)

Six-Factor Approach to building resiliency:
1) Talking to a trained mental health professional to help process any trauma or feelings surrounding ACEs
2) Nutrition
3) Sleep
4) Exercise
5) Building healthy relationships with those who are the three C's: Competent, Caring, and Consistent
6) Mindfulness/Meditation practices that are trauma-sensitive

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How to connect with mental health supports: