Child life specialists are available to help children and their families understand and manage challenge life events and stressful healthcare experienced.
Child Life Specialists Can Provide:
- Support during healthcare experiences.
- Support, validation, relaxation, education and diversion.
Pre-Operative Preparation Class
The pre-operative preparation class is designed to help children and their families understand what it will be like while they are in the hospital. The class includes a short video introducing surgery, health care play with the children, and an introduction for parents of what to expect, and a tour of the various areas patients and families will see when in the hospital.
Pain Management Support
Children are naturally imaginative with a great ability to pretend. Visualization, guided imagery, and expressive activities are great tools children can use to help them better cope with their pain. It has been shown that these methods in conjunction with pain medicine increase the child’s ability to manage pain.
Therapeutic Play
Child life specialists provide play opportunities for patients and siblings in individual and group settings. Familiarization play helps children become more comfortable and familiar with health related items in a non-threatening way. Questions can be explored during play so children are allowed to work through fears and concerns. Examples: medical collages, finger cast puppets, medical mobiles.
Health Related Theme Play
Using actual medical equipment and cloth dolls, healthcare play gives children a chance to express themselves, learn coping skills, and feel a sense of control.
Click here to see a video of medical play and the role it has at Primary Children's to help patients, siblings, and friends feel more comfortable with the hospital experience.
Expressive Play
a non-threatening, positive way to express feelings, especially for those unable to verbally express feelings. This type of play provides opportunities for choice and control in an unfamiliar place.
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