1. The Lifelong Impacts of Adverse Childhood Experiences
General Guidelines for Creating an Effective Poster
Posters need to be read by attendees from a distance of 3 feet or more, so lettering
on illustrations should be large and legible.
The title should be in very large type, 84 pt. or larger.
Do NOT use all capitals for titles and headings. It makes them hard to read.
Text on panels should be between 18 and 24 pt. to be legible.
Use double or 1.5 spacing between lines of text.
Keep each panel relatively short and to the point. More than 25 lines won't
get read, but 15 to 18 usually will.
Framing the text by putting a box around it will also help readers to focus.
Choose a simple font such as Times, Helvetica or Prestige Elite and stick with it.
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Whenever possible, use graphs, charts, tables, figures, pictures or lists instead of
text to get your points across.
Make sure your presentation flows in a logical sequence. It should have an
introduction, body and conclusion, just like any other presentation.
Posters don’t need to be "arty". Simplicity, ease of reading, etc., are more
important than artistic flair.
In a room full of posters, consider the visual impact your presentation needs to
make in order to attract readers.
Use colors behind panels to increase contrast and impact, but avoid fluorescent
colors which will make things hard to read when someone gets closer.
Consider bringing extra copies of your data and conclusions.
Anna Interlichia
GRC MSW Program
Introduction
Adverse childhood experiences, commonly known as ACEs, are a set of questions in a survey used to gauge the trauma history experienced by an individual throughout childhood to determine their risk for negative health affects in adulthood. Social work goes hand in hand with studying trauma. Understanding the experiences that an individual has been through can better equip a social worker to provide the most beneficial services to their client. When providing services to clients who have experienced trauma, social workers must be aware of the effects that can result from negative experiences and work collaboratively to promote resiliency within said clients. It is also the social worker’s role to advocate for those who are at risk of ACEs and future harmful risks to their wellbeing.
Development of ACEs
Theoretical Perspectives
The Adverse Childhood Experiences study (ACEs) was developed to measure the relationship between childhood trauma and adult health and behaviors. The ACEs questionnaire is a survey comprised of ten questions regarding abuse and neglect, drug/alcohol use, parental issues and mental illness that occurred in one’s home in the first eighteen years of life. The results of the study indicated that individuals who reported experiencing more negative events during childhood were more likely to suffer from depression, heard disease, alcoholism, drug use and more. The benefit of the ACEs study to social work has proven to be positive as practitioners can utilize this research to assess and guide more effective treatment.
Attachment Theory
Bowlby and Ainsworth explain through their theories on attachment that if children have a positive, trusting bond with an adult caregiver, they are more likely to live out and fulfill a positive life. Bowlby’s research led him to discover that early relationships developed in infancy and childhood will set a person up for having healthy or unhealthy relationships in the future.
Erikson’s Stages of Development
The first stage of Erik Erikson’s psychosocial stages of development is trust vs. mistrust. In this stage of development, infants are learning to rely on their caregivers. This trust building stage is imperative for a child’s sense of trust in people in general throughout their life.
Trauma Treatment
Trauma Informed Care
Trauma-informed care (TIC) is a type of intervention that places an emphasis on understanding the experiences that an individual may have been through and how it can effect or has affected their overall health. The key factors of this intervention involve “awareness of the prevalence of trauma, understanding the impact on service utilization and engagement, and commitment to incorporating those understandings in policy, procedure and practice.”
Building Resilience
Building resilience can be achieved preventatively through developing coping skills, and identifying supports and resources. Interpersonal relationships in which support is provided are extremely beneficial to children who face adversity, as they can provide a child with a positive example of a healthy relationship. Promoting resilience in schools can allow children of complex trauma a place to succeed. By providing an encouraging and empowering environment within schools, children can be given opportunities for growth and resilience.
References available on separate handout.