My Assumptions about Child Life... 👍

 

My beliefs and assumptions:

With only my personal experience, I considered the work of child life therapy comparable to that of a fairy tale.  It was a job to play with children and make them feel better, in turn making the family feel better.  However, I have learned that, that is only a small portion of the work of a child life specialist.  A child life specialist, working with children and families within an inpatient hospital setting, is a friend, comedian, care giver, teacher, and advocate all wrapped up in the perfect package.  

My personal background and experiences:

I grew up in a household where hard work and education were held to the highest regards.  My mom being a former preschool teacher and owner, turned public school teacher and now a middle school administrator, had always instilled in both my brother and I that our education came first.  To be totally honest, unlike my brother, school did not come easily for me.  I have been told that from the time I was a baby until I was able six or seven, I progressed quickly and easily in school.  I was asked to be a peer in classrooms to help other students learn and grow from watching my abilities.  However little did we know that once first grade came along and I started to have significant issues with learning and retaining information that it was due to a brain tumor.  Although the teachers and educational system said I was doing ok at the time and just needed to work harder, my mother knew better; paying for tutors and reading specialists out of pocket to aid me in my studies.  It wasn’t until I moved to another school district that my learning disabilities were diagnosed, and I was able to get the help I needed to succeed in school.  

At that time it was my understanding that the only people who helped children were those who worked in schools; I was very naive.  At the age of sixteen when I was finally diagnosed with the Juvenile Pilocytic Astrocytoma, my very small world of those who work with children was profoundly increased.  During my three month stay in the nearby children's hospital, I interacted with doctors, nurses, social workers, and so many more.  However the group that most prominently impacted my time in the hospital were the Child Life Specialists.  At the time I did not know much about the program and what a child life specialist was or what they did.  However, I have since learned that child life workers have the important role of not only educating the children and families in a way they can understand, but also by helping them communicate their thoughts and feelings about the the experiences they are living .  

My research goals and interests:

This research project is important to me because I have learned first hand the importance of Child Life Specialists to a sick child and their family.  Many, if not most people, never get to meet Child Life Specialists. They never learn the behind the scenes benefits they provide to a child and family during a traumatic situation like being in the hospital.  With the impact of COVID-19 still in the forefront of our minds it is irrefutable to think about how the work of child life specialists has changed.  It is my goal during this research project to learn as much as possible about Child Life Specialists and how they are now changing and adapting to the new world with COVID-19.  In particular I want to include their work with play therapy.  Since COVID-19 has been creating such a conflict in the lives of children across the united states - it is interesting to see how Child Life Specialists are adapting.  

My second reason for this project being important to me is because given my history, I have become interested in becoming a integral part of a children's hospital team.  There is a new element to consider - COVID-19 an obstacle that must be addressed in order to talk to children and families successfully.

References:

Community Medical Center. (2020, October 17). What does a Child Life Specialist Do? [Video]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8MajVxEN0I