What is a Child Life Specialist?

Child Life specialists help reduce the stress and anxiety that many children experience in hospital and healthcare settings. While the use of child life specialists has been mostly limited to hospitals, it is now more common to see them in pediatric physician and dental offices, outpatient clinics, counseling clinics, and any other environment that includes a pediatric population. Although children commonly experience psychosocial upset during and after these experiences, these responses can be modified through intervention in the form of child life services. Child life programs can reduce the stress experienced by children and families and enhance their abilities to cope effectively with and gain from potentially stressful situations. Knowledge and application of foundations in theories of child development, play, stress and coping, and family systems are the basis for child life professional practice.

Child life programs in health care settings promote optimum development of children and their families, to maintain normal living patterns and to minimize psychological trauma. Typically, child life professionals (1) supervise therapeutic and diversional play; (2) prepare children for and assist children during medical tests and procedures through education, rehearsal, and coping skill development; and (3) support families during hospitalization or challenging events. Child life professionals support a philosophy of "family centered care" in health care facilities.A Child Life Specialist is a professional who is specially trained to help children and their families understand and manage challenging life events and stressful healthcare experiences. Child Life Specialists are skilled in providing developmental, educational, and therapeutic interventions for children and their families under stress. Child Life Specialists support growth and development while recognizing family strengths and individuality, and respecting different methods of coping.

Certified Child Life Specialists (CCLS) have earned a Bachelor's or Master's degree, with an educational background that includes human growth and development, education, psychology, and counseling. They are required to complete an internship program and a rigorous application and examination process. Child Life Specialists are certified through a program administered by the Child Life Council (CLC).

Services that Child Life Specialists provide:

• Non-medical preparation for tests, surgeries, and other medical procedures.
• Support during medical procedures.
• Therapeutic medical play using special dolls, stuffed animals and medical equipment.
• Activities to continue normal growth and development of infants, children and adolescents in hospital patient rooms and/or activity areas.
• Sibling support.
• Support for grief and bereavement issues.
• Emergency room interventions.
• Hospital pre-admission tours and information.
• Outpatient consultation with families.

Additional responsibilities of a Child Life Specialist:

• Collaboration with various pediatric therapies.
• Support hospital school programs.
• Supervision and education of students in Child Life.
• Orientation, training, and supervision of volunteers, including pet therapy programs.
• Coordination of special events, holiday celebrations, entertainment, and donations.
• Education for the community on the needs of children and their families.

Where do Child Life Specialists work?

Child Life Specialists work with patients and families in many areas of hospitals such as the Emergency Department, patient rooms, surgical areas, the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, and the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. In each of these areas, Child Life interventions focus on the individual needs of the patient and family. They can also be found in alternate settings.

For more information regarding this profession, please refer to www.childlife.org