Child life specialist

A child life specialist is a professional traditionally employed in the hospital setting. She or he supports the psychosocial development of children who are hospitalized or children of adult patients who are hospitalized. Child life specialists provide children with developmentally appropriate activities that help them adjust to the hospital environment, prepare for a medical intervention or medical procedure, or cope with hospitalization, illness, death and dying. A certified CLS must pass a national certification exam, given by the Child Life Council.

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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.

Services

Services that a child life specialist provides include:

• 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

Vision Statement

"The profession of child life will continue to meet the needs of infants, children, youth and families in times of stressful or traumatic life events and situations. The philosophy and practice of child life will be applicable to any health care setting and transferable to other environments or situations in which the potential for infants, children and youth to cope, learn and master is placed at risk. The services provided by the child life profession will be holistic and will utilize applied child development and family systems theory. The objectives of such services will be to minimize the negative impact of situational disruptions while maintaining individual growth and development and family relationships." - The Child Life Council[1]