Never heard of ACEs or toxic stress? Here's why you should care

Maurice Stewart had never heard of ACEs before he came across a YouTube video explaining the term. Once he understood it, though, he realized he had lived it. The acronym stands for Adverse Childhood Experiences, and it refers to traumatic events that elevate children’s stress over time as well as how children react to that trauma. ACEs can be as severe as physical abuse or as commonplace as parents going through a divorce.