The Core Story:

ACEs and Early Child Development

Prosperity:

Child development is a foundation for community and economic development, as capable children become the foundation of a prosperous and sustainable society

Brain Architecture:

The basic architecture of the brain is constructed through an ongoing process that begins before birth and continues into adulthood

Skill Begets Skill:

Brains are “built” from the bottom up – we need to master rudimentary skills before moving on to more complex ones.

Serve and Return:

Interaction of genes and experience shapes the developing brain and relationships are the active ingredient in the “serve and return” process

Can't Do One Without the Other:

Cognitive, emotional, and social capacities are inextricably intertwined Learning, behavior, and physical and mental health are interrelated over the life course

Toxic Stress:

Toxic stress damages the developing brain and leads to problems in learning, behavior, and increased susceptibility to physical and mental illness over time

Pay Now or Pay Later:

Brain plasticity and the ability to change behavior decrease over time Getting it right early is less costly (to individuals and society) than trying to fix it later

Evaluation Science:

By requiring the application of the most rigorous program evaluation science to services for children, we can make smarter decisions among competing programs and we can replicate the successes

Effectiveness Factors:

We can measure “effectiveness factors” that often make the difference between programs that work to support children’s healthy development and those that don’t.

Learn more: developingchild.harvard.edu/aces-and-toxic-stress-frequently-asked-questions