Adverse Experiences in Early Childhood and Kindergarten Outcomes

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To examine associations between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) in early childhood and teacher-reported academic and behavioral problems in kindergarten. METHODS:We conducted a secondary analysis of data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study, a national urban birth cohort. Subjects with primary caregiver-reported information on ACE exposures ascertained at 5 years and teacher-reported outcomes at the end of the child's kindergarten year were included. Outcomes included teacher ratings of academic skills, emergent literacy skills, and behavior. We included 8 ACE exposures on the basis of the original Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Kaiser study and created an ACE score by summing individual adversities. We examined the associations between teacher-reported academic and behavioral outcomes and ACE scores by using logistic regression. RESULTS:In the study sample, 1007 children were included. Fifty-five percent had experienced 1 ACE and 12% had experienced ≥ 3. Adjusting for potential confounders, experiencing ≥ 3 ACEs was associated with below-average language and literacy skills (adjusted odds ratio [AORs]: 1.8; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.1-2.9) and math skills (AOR: 1.8, 95% CI: 1.1-2.9), poor emergent literacy skills, attention problems (AOR: 3.5, 95% CI: 1.8-6.5), social problems (AOR: 2.7, 95% CI: 1.4-5.0), and aggression (AOR: 2.3, 95% CI: 1.2-4.6). CONCLUSIONS:In this study of urban children, experiencing ACEs in early childhood was associated with below-average, teacher-reported academic and literacy skills and behavior problems in kindergarten. These findings underscore the importance of integrated approaches that promote optimal development among vulnerable children.

Adverse childhood experiences and behavioral problems in middle childhood

“…In a study examining ACEs among a pediatric sample, exposure to 4 or more ACEs was associated with 33 times the odds of reporting a learning or behavioral problem as compared to children without ACE exposure (Burke et al, 2011). Other studies have found substantial increases in attention and behavioral problems among children as young as 5 after cumulative ACE exposure (Jimenez et al, 2016; McKelvey et al, 2016). These studies advance the ACE literature by indicating that cumulative adversity is not only associated with strong effects on adulthood health outcomes but also childhood behavioral problems.…”

Adverse Childhood Experiences and ADHD Diagnosis at Age 9 Years in a National Urban Sample

“…22 The FFCWS data has been previously used to study associations between ACEs occurring in early childhood and kindergarten outcomes. 17 The current study used data from the 5-year and 9-year follow-up interviews, which includes information on approximately 84% and 74%, respectively, of the baseline sample.…”

“…8-16 More recent work has linked ACEs to poor academic and behavioral outcomes in kindergarten and poor school engagement and behavior problems in middle childhood. 17-19 Whereas associations between ACEs and parent-reported ADHD has been reported in past work, 18-20 to our knowledge no studies have examined associations between ACEs occurring at different developmental periods in childhood and ADHD. The answer to this question can elucidate underlying pathways connecting ACEs to ADHD and inform interventions.…”

Trauma-Exposed Infants and Toddlers: A Review of Impacts and Evidence-Based Interventions

“…Further, although not specific to children zero to two years old, children under 6 experience more ACEs than any other age (Thompson et al, 2015). Multiple ACEs in early childhood are associated with impaired social-emotional development (McKelvey, Whiteside-Mansell, Connors-Burrow, Swindle, & Fitzgerald, 2016), increased risk of polyvictimization across childhood (Grasso, Ford, Dierkhising, Branson, & Lee, 2015), belowaverage academic literacy skills and behavior problems (Jimenez, Wade, Lin, Morrow, & Reichman, 2016), and increased rates of PTSD and internalizing symptoms in adulthood (Grasso et al, 2015). Taken together, these findings suggest that children zero to two years old are at risk of increased exposure to future experiences of trauma throughout childhood, as well as other potential negative developmental outcomes.…”