Role of a Child Life Specialist
People who enjoy working with children and providing them psychological or educational support are a good fit for a career as a child life specialist. According to the Mayo Clinic, these professionals typically earn a bachelor's degree and obtain certification before practicing.
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Function
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Child life specialists assist ill children, particularly in a hospital setting. They provide developmental, emotional and social guidance, according to the University of Idaho's child life website. Specialists' primary goal is to ease the stress of children and their families facing difficult diagnoses and treatments.
History
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The prevalence of child life specialists began in the 1960s, when individuals such as Emma Plank used child development principles to help children in hospital settings. According to the Mayo Clinic, before this time hospitalized children were isolated and had little access to or interaction with their loved ones.
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Features
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Child life specialists provide education about medical procedures to children and families, in addition to organizing support groups. Specialists provide bedside care and activities to facilitate learning and stress reduction. They also are involved in the development of educational programs for children in the hospital.
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References
- Photo Credit sick child image by Renata Osinska from Fotolia.com
