How Child Life Helps

• Child Life teaches children about the procedure they will undergo through therapeutic medical play and intervention.
  
  
• Child Life offers children the chance to learn coping mechanisms for use during procedures and/or treatments.
  
  
• Child Life helps the child demonstrate his or her knowledge of the hospital routine as revealed through their play.
  
  
• Child Life helps children understand their feelings on diagnosis and treatment through play.
  
  
• Child Life provides pre-surgical information in simple, easy-to-understand language that is developmentally appropriate.
  
  
• Child Life helps siblings understand their brother or sister’s illness or injury.
  
  
• Child Life teaches children how to share information about their illness or injury with friends or classmates.
  
  
• Child Life provides children or caregivers additional information about the impact of the illness or injury on the child’s development.
  
  
• Child Life helps ensure children encounter a positive learning experience while hospitalized.
  
  
• Child Life helps children deal with stress and/or anxiety about medical experiences.
  
  
• Child Life assesses the environment through the eyes of a child.
  
  
• Child Life provides the patient therapeutic interventions such as preparation, distraction and pain management.