What is Child Life?
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 Play Opportunities
Child Life Specialists provide activities and opportunities for patients to gain a sense of control over their hospital experience. The activities facilitate self-expression, learning, continued growth and development.
Preparation
Child Life Specialists help take away stress and anxiety by providing age appropriate education and coping techniques to help patients through difficult experiences.
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Support
Child Life Specialists are available to provide support to parents and encourage the need to be involved, informed and active in their child's care. In addition, Child Life Specialists promote the importance of peer and sibling interactions.
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Education
Child Life Specialists are responsible for training and supervising volunteers participating in the Child Life program. The Child Life staff also teach new pediatric staff about the role of Child Life Specialists at Cardinal Glennon and the use of therapeutic play.
Advocacy
Child Life Specialists are the voice for patients while they are in the hospital. They communicate patients' individual and developmental needs, coping styles and other assessments to staff and family members. |
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Medical Play
Medical play encourages patients to express fears, discuss misconceptions and gain a sense of control and understanding about what is happening to their bodies. Through medical play with dolls and medical equipment, a Child Life Specialist can alleviate some of the stress and anxiety that patients may experience.
For more information, visit www.childlife.org.
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