Child life specialist
Encyclopedia
Child life specialists are pediatric
health care
professionals who work with patients, their family and others involved in the child’s care in order to help them manage stress and understand medical and various procedures. "The objectives of such services will be to minimize the negative impact of situational disruptions while maintaining individual growth and development and family relationships."
traditionally employed in the hospital
setting. He or she focuses on the psychosocial development of children, and encourages effective coping strategies for children and their families under stress. Child life specialists recognize individuality in patients, and use a range of developmentally appropriate activities, including play, preparation for a medical procedure
, education, self-expression, and family support to help cope with hospitalization, illness, or death and dying. Child life specialists are trained to take into account the cognitive, emotional, and physical development of each child in order to encourage optimum development of children facing a challenging experience, particularly one related to healthcare and hospitalization. This sets them apart from all other healthcare professionals.
Services that a child life specialist provides include:
Child life specialists work with patients and families in many settings, such as inpatient units, surgical areas, outpatient clinics, the pediatric intensive care unit
, the Emergency Department
, and the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
. Although child life specialists typically function in the hospital setting, their skills make them specially trained to support children and families in other settings, such as hospice
, dental care, schools, specialized camps, funeral homes, or wherever children experience stress or trauma. In each of these areas, child life interventions focus on the individual needs of the child and family.
The interventions include encouraging parent presence and participation in care; showing parent(s) how to participate and be involved; talking and communicating frequently with patients in a calm manner; avoiding child discomfort; providing choices when appropriate; being realistic and truthful with youth and adolescents, and; providing "age appropriate
" activities that foster a sense of accomplishment. Pain management
techniques child life specialists practice include sharing music, favorite toys or objects, encouraging words and statements, singing, videos, comfortable positions and places, and using humor.
and Masters degree programs focused on child life include a variety of coursework
, including child health systems, child life, the role of the child life specialist, the meaning and development of play
, child life methods and materials, issues and processes, and alternative applications of child life. Many programs also include a practicum
or internship.
The child life profession can be challenging and competitive. It is one that demands excellence, as they are responding to a number of different and complex issues by applying their unique accumulation of knowledge and skills in healthcare settings and elsewhere. Thus, it's important for child life specialists to have a basic mastery of child development and the initiative to learn to skills as they become increasingly valuable to their organizations.
The Certified Child Life Specialist (CCLS) credentialing program is a rigorous, examination-based professional certification credential. Certified child life specialists 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 a 480-hour clinical internship program and a rigorous application and examination process. Certification is maintained through professional development hours, which are reviewed at the end of every 5-year certification cycle. The only certification program for Child Life Specialists is through the Child Life Council
.
Pediatrics
Pediatrics or paediatrics is the branch of medicine that deals with the medical care of infants, children, and adolescents. A medical practitioner who specializes in this area is known as a pediatrician or paediatrician...
health care
Health care
Health care is the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in humans. Health care is delivered by practitioners in medicine, chiropractic, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, allied health, and other care providers...
professionals who work with patients, their family and others involved in the child’s care in order to help them manage stress and understand medical and various procedures. "The objectives of such services will be to minimize the negative impact of situational disruptions while maintaining individual growth and development and family relationships."
About
A child life specialist in America is a professionalProfessional
A professional is a person who is paid to undertake a specialised set of tasks and to complete them for a fee. The traditional professions were doctors, lawyers, clergymen, and commissioned military officers. Today, the term is applied to estate agents, surveyors , environmental scientists,...
traditionally employed in the hospital
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
setting. He or she focuses on the psychosocial development of children, and encourages effective coping strategies for children and their families under stress. Child life specialists recognize individuality in patients, and use a range of developmentally appropriate activities, including play, preparation for a medical procedure
Medical procedure
A medical procedure is a course of action intended to achieve a result in the care of persons with health problems.A medical procedure with the intention of determining, measuring or diagnosing a patient condition or parameter is also called a medical test...
, education, self-expression, and family support to help cope with hospitalization, illness, or death and dying. Child life specialists are trained to take into account the cognitive, emotional, and physical development of each child in order to encourage optimum development of children facing a challenging experience, particularly one related to healthcare and hospitalization. This sets them apart from all other healthcare professionals.
Services
Child Life Specialists collaborate with parents and other healthcare professionals to meet the distinct needs of children in managing the effects of stress and trauma. Because children may feel overwhelmed, child life professionals help children gain a sense of familiarity and control of their environment through much play and exploration inside the healthcare facility. Understanding that a child’s wellbeing depends on the support of the family, they also provide information, support and guidance to parents, siblings, and other family members.Services that a child life specialist provides include:
- Psychological preparation for tests, surgeries, and other medical procedures
- Support during medical procedures
- Therapeutic medical and recreational play
- Sibling support
- Support for grief and bereavement
- Emergency room interventions
- Hospital pre-admission tours
- Outpatient consultation with families
- Educate caregivers, administrators, and the general public about the needs of children under stress.
Child life specialists work with patients and families in many settings, such as inpatient units, surgical areas, outpatient clinics, the pediatric intensive care unit
Pediatric intensive care unit
A pediatric intensive care unit , usually abbreviated to PICU , is an area within a hospital specializing in the care of critically ill infants, children, and teenagers....
, the Emergency Department
Emergency department
An emergency department , also known as accident & emergency , emergency room , emergency ward , or casualty department is a medical treatment facility specialising in acute care of patients who present without prior appointment, either by their own means or by ambulance...
, and the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
Neonatal intensive care unit
A Neonatal Intensive Care Unit —also called a Special Care Nursery, newborn intensive care unit, intensive care nursery , and special care baby unit —is an intensive care unit specializing in the care of ill or premature newborn infants.The problem of premature and congenitally ill infants is not a...
. Although child life specialists typically function in the hospital setting, their skills make them specially trained to support children and families in other settings, such as hospice
Hospice
Hospice is a type of care and a philosophy of care which focuses on the palliation of a terminally ill patient's symptoms.In the United States and Canada:*Gentiva Health Services, national provider of hospice and home health services...
, dental care, schools, specialized camps, funeral homes, or wherever children experience stress or trauma. In each of these areas, child life interventions focus on the individual needs of the child and family.
Interventions and pain management techniques
There are many physical, emotional, and cognitive stressors that accompany a hospital stay. Child life specialists use child-centered interventions and pain techniques to work with the patient and family members to help them cope with hospitalization and medical procedures.The interventions include encouraging parent presence and participation in care; showing parent(s) how to participate and be involved; talking and communicating frequently with patients in a calm manner; avoiding child discomfort; providing choices when appropriate; being realistic and truthful with youth and adolescents, and; providing "age appropriate
Age appropriate
Age appropriate refers to a developmental concept whereby certain activities may be deemed appropriate or inappropriate to a child's "stage" or level of development....
" activities that foster a sense of accomplishment. Pain management
Pain management
Pain management is a branch of medicine employing an interdisciplinary approach for easing the suffering and improving the quality of life of those living with pain. The typical pain management team includes medical practitioners, clinical psychologists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists,...
techniques child life specialists practice include sharing music, favorite toys or objects, encouraging words and statements, singing, videos, comfortable positions and places, and using humor.
Education and certification
BachelorsBachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
and Masters degree programs focused on child life include a variety of coursework
Coursework
Coursework is the name for work carried out by students at university or middle/high school that contributes towards their overall grade, but which is assessed separately from their final exams. Coursework can, for example, take the form of experimental work, or may involve research in the...
, including child health systems, child life, the role of the child life specialist, the meaning and development of play
Play (activity)
Play is a term employed in ethology and psychology to describe to a range of voluntary, intrinsically motivated activities normally associated with pleasure and enjoyment...
, child life methods and materials, issues and processes, and alternative applications of child life. Many programs also include a practicum
Practicum
A practicum is a college course, often in a specialized field of study, that is designed to give students supervised practical application of a previously or concurrently studied theory. Practicums are common for education and social work majors...
or internship.
The child life profession can be challenging and competitive. It is one that demands excellence, as they are responding to a number of different and complex issues by applying their unique accumulation of knowledge and skills in healthcare settings and elsewhere. Thus, it's important for child life specialists to have a basic mastery of child development and the initiative to learn to skills as they become increasingly valuable to their organizations.
The Certified Child Life Specialist (CCLS) credentialing program is a rigorous, examination-based professional certification credential. Certified child life specialists have earned a Bachelor's or Master's degree, with an educational background that includes human growth and development, education, psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
, and counseling. They are required to complete a 480-hour clinical internship program and a rigorous application and examination process. Certification is maintained through professional development hours, which are reviewed at the end of every 5-year certification cycle. The only certification program for Child Life Specialists is through the Child Life Council
Child Life Council
The Child Life Council was formed in 1982. According to its newest strategic plan, the focus of CLC’s new strategy is on developing and delivering upgraded programs and services to members, and on promoting the intrinsic value of child life specialists and the services they provide.The Child Life...
.