Personally, I think understanding the ACE's influences my knowledge about adolescents and young adults in a big way. When we see children who are sick, we might assume that they have a cold or were born with a disease. When we see a child who is withdrawn, we might assume they are shy or have a problem socializing with their peers. When we see a child that is all over the place, we might assume they are energetic or ADHD. However, because of the ACE's we now know that these factors could be the result of childhood trauma. Understanding ACE's allows me as a social worker to be more able to understand my client. If I see certain characteristics that are present, I know they could be a result of any childhood trauma they have suffered. It also
