Child life specialists provide psychosocial support and education to children and families affected by medical experiences. They use therapeutic play and other activities to reduce stress and prepare children for medical procedures. Certification requires a bachelor’s degree, clinical internship, and passing a certification exam. The profession was influenced by Maria Montessori’s theories of child development.
A child life specialist is a health professional whose role is to provide psychosocial support and education to children and families affected by medical experiences. Typically, child life specialist jobs are carried out by individuals certified by the Child Life Council, an international organization that regulates the child life profession. Most child life specialist jobs take place within a pediatric hospital, but in some cases these professionals are employed in other settings appropriate to their clinical experience. A position as an assistant child life specialist may be available in some settings.
Child life specialist jobs often feature a variety of ways to support the psychosocial needs of children and families who are experiencing acute or chronic medical conditions, surgery, terminal illness, or other stressors related to medical experiences. A child life specialist can make use of therapeutic play, relaxation techniques, humor, and other developmentally appropriate activities to help reduce stress and promote self-expression. He or she also helps psychologically prepare the child and family for upcoming medical procedures such as tests, surgeries or treatments. Whenever possible, specialists in child life are present with the child during medical procedures.
A career as a child life specialist may be appropriate for an individual who enjoys interacting with children and families. Key job requirements are excellent communication skills, the ability to explain medical procedures in a simplified manner, and knowledge of how to adapt to each child’s emotional and developmental needs. Child life specialist job responsibilities can also include a variety of related activities, including administrative work, writing, coordinating workshops and other programs, or public speaking. Child life specialists often collaborate with other psychosocial support professionals, such as social workers and chaplains, as well as physicians, nurses, and other members of the medical staff.
Depending on the size and complexity of the individual hospital setting, child life specialist jobs can be found in inpatient or intensive care wards, in emergency departments or in outpatient clinics. Some specialist child life work takes place in similar healthcare settings, such as palliative care organizations or private physicians’ offices. Occasionally, these jobs may develop in peripheral contexts, including schools or community outreach programs.
Child life certification requires a bachelor’s degree in child life or a related field such as psychology, child development or early childhood education. To become a certified child life specialist, an individual must also undergo a supervised clinical internship and pass a certification exam. He or she must also engage in continuing education opportunities to maintain certification.
The infant life profession developed in the US and Canada in the 1960’s. Early on, the profession was deeply influenced by Maria Montessori’s theories of child development. Children’s life programs now exist in many large metropolitan and research hospitals.
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