Why does it not seem to matter which of the ACEs a person has? The adverse experiences do not cause the illness and lifetime medical and mental health issues that were reported outcomes. The reported ACE score is an indirect measure of exposure to adrenaline and cortisol in the developing brain of children age 0 to 18 years. Children with areas of their brain without solid connections are more at risk for a variety of harm. The logic is: the more different trauma a child experiences the more their brain has elevated levels of adrenaline and cortisol. Resilience as the experience of comforting, valuing adults reduces the duration and amount of adrenaline and cortisol levels. Lower adrenaline and cortisol allow the brain to get a more complete set of neural connections. The more neural connections the more likely the adult will make healthier choices and engage in less risky behavior. It is still possible for a child with large numbers of ACEs to obtain resiliency but a high ACE score could make it less likely the child will obtain resiliency.