A hospital can be a scary place for children. They may be worried about their illness or being separated from their families while staying in the hospital.
A child life specialist is a part of the healthcare team who focuses on the emotional and developmental issues of children while staying in the hospital.
"The Child Life program helps pediatric patients and their families to cope with the stresses of hospitalization and medical procedures. We focus on the emotional and developmental needs of children to promote optimal response to medical treatment, " says Kathy Duethman, a Child Life Therapist at University of Iowa Children's Hospital located at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.
Child life therapy provides services and support throughout the pediatric inpatient units, in the Pediatric Specialty Clinics, and in areas such as radiology and orthopedics. "We provide support during painful or stressful procedures, are available for development assessments and offer opportunities for the children to participate in developmentally appropriate play activities. We also offer parent and sibling support," says Deutheman.
On the inpatient units, the children are invited to participate in age-specific group activities in a non-threatening playroom environment, says Deuthman. Those unable to attend or those with special needs are seen in their rooms. All children are offered activities to encourage creativity and self-expression. The types of activities include arts and crafts, music, cooking, and gym activities.
"If a parent has a child in the hospital, they should contact a Child Life Specialist if they feel their child needs assistance coping during a procedure or test or has difficulty coping with hospitalization in general," says Deuthman. "This is especially true for children diagnosed with life-threatening illnesses or those facing extended or repeated hospitalizations. Parents are encouraged to contact us if they would like their child to have a developmental assessment or if they feel their child would benefit from developmentally-appropriate play activities."
A child life therapist can accompany a child who is having a potentially painful or anxiety-provoking procedure. "We work to encourage positive coping by explaining the procedure in developmentally-appropriate language and by teaching the child various coping mechanisms." They include:
- Distraction (with interesting toys and books)
- Using various breathing techniques during difficult portion
- Finding other ways of controlling negative behaviors that interfere with successful coping
This may be something as simple as blowing bubbles during an injection or may involve several sessions of medical play to work through anxieties and/or misconceptions about what is happening to them, says Deuthman.
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