Michael Lamb featured in the American Federation of Teachers’s TEACH newsletter

Michael Lamb’s presentation at The American Federation of Teachers’ (AFT) TEACH conference was highlighted in the organization’s newsletter and on their website. The piece, A path toward helping children, highlights the impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) on students and how Turnaround is using science to mitigate these effects.

Here is an excerpt:

“Adverse childhood experiences,” which are known as ACEs, are stressful or traumatic events that have been shown to be related to a child’s future health, mental health, victimization and violent behavior. These include domestic violence and neglect, but more research is needed on racial violence, Lamb said. He pointed to a study conducted in Washington state finding that 80 percent of students had had one or more adverse experiences.

The good news, Lamb said, is that the brain is malleable. Every new experience creates new neural pathways, providing hope that childhood trauma can be eased. If a child knows and trusts an adult, the basis is formed for healing. “This is a fundamentally positive story,” he said, advising participants to ask themselves: Will my actions today build trust or erode trust?

Read the full story here.