The Power of Play: Child Life Specialists Bring Empathy and Agency to a Hospital’s Youngest Patients1/17/2021  By Clare Nimura
When children are faced with serious health problems at a young age, they can undergo medical treatments that are stressful or even traumatic. The support and guidance of a child life specialist can help a child navigate the challenges of illness and have even been shown to improve physical recovery. The Child Life profession has been expanding since the mid-1950s but is still not widely known nor a universal standard for pediatric care. In a perfect world, it would be. Child life specialists provide children with educational and psychological support during their illness by helping them take ownership of their treatment and stay engaged in normal activities, which can reduce children’s anxiety during their time in the hospital.
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 By Michelle Lu
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