Adverse Childhood Experiences and Cognitive Functioning: Impact and Intervention
October 13, 2023 @ 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Adverse Childhood Experiences and Cognitive Functioning: Impact and Intervention
Friday, October 13, 2023
Registration 8:30am Program 9am to 12pm
Presented By: Marie C. McGrath, Ph.D. and Karlyn Atkinson, B.A.
Location: Online Workshop
3 CE Credits
Act 48 Available
Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) include abuse, neglect, and other stressful experiences that impact children’s sense of safety. Approximately three in five adults have experienced at least one ACE, and one in six have experienced four or more ACEs (CDC, 2021). While ACEs are widely understood to be associated with heightened risk for emotional, behavioral, and physical health issues, their impact on cognitive functions is less well understood. In this presentation, research on the cognitive impact of trauma in general, and ACEs in particular, will be reviewed; interventions for functions impacted by ACEs will be discussed; and associations among ACEs, risk, and individual and cultural diversity factors will be reviewed.
Objectives:
1. Define and identify examples of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs).
2. Describe the impact of ACEs on physical and mental health, behavior, and cognition.
3. Explain the associations between individual and cultural identity factors and ACE-related risks.
4. Explain current research findings linking ACEs and cognitive functioning.
5. Describe methods of intervention that can be used to address ACE-related cognitive functioning concerns.
Dr. Marie McGrath is Graduate Program Director of and Professor of Psychology in the Clinical Psychology Psy.D. program at Stevenson University. Dr. McGrath previously served as a faculty member in the Clinical Psychology Psy.D. program at Immaculata University. Dr. McGrath is a Pennsylvania licensed psychologist and certified school psychologist; is a nationally certified school psychologist; and holds the ASPPB E. Passport/Authority to Practice Interjurisdictional Telepsychology credential. She is a recent past president of the Pennsylvania Psychological Association and served on the PPA Board of Directors from 2011-2021 in various roles. Her clinical and research interests primarily focus on assessment of and intervention with neurodiverse individuals and prevention efforts for at-risk youth.
Karlyn Atkinson is a second-year clinical student in the Clinical Psychology Psy.D. program at Stevenson University. Her research interests focus on adverse childhood experiences and their links to memory, cognition, and moral injury. She recently co-presented research findings linking specific ACEs to higher moral injury scores in undergraduate students at the 2023 Southeastern Psychological Association conference in New Orleans, LA. Her future research goals include examination of the impact of psychotherapy on cognitive sequelae of ACEs.
PSCP: The Psychology Network is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. PSCP: The Psychology network maintains responsibility for this program and its content.