Minimum requirements to earn child life specialist certification include a bachelor’s degree from a recognized university in education, psychology, counseling, or similar coursework. Programs offering certificates might also request letters of recommendation, transcripts of grades, and an interview with faculty. Students typically complete at least 10 courses in psychology and related subjects, and perform almost 500 hours of supervised work before becoming eligible to take the child life specialist certification exam. Continuing education might be necessary to keep child life specialist certification valid.
Child life specialists work with seriously ill children to help them cope with fear and other emotional impacts of disease or injury. They also work with parents and siblings to educate them about the sickness and explain what an ill child might experience. Child life specialists serve as liaisons between doctors, nurses, social workers, and family on behalf of the pediatric patient.
These professionals study therapeutic intervention to help children express themselves and cope with the pain and fear of necessary medical treatment. The child life specialist certification program aims to ensure people working in this field understand the special physical and emotional needs of children. Specialists learn about family dynamics and how childhood illness affects the patient and the family.
They may offer grief counseling if the child’s condition appears life-threatening. Counseling might also be needed if an injury or medical condition causes loss of a limb, permanent mental deficiencies, or when it cannot be cured, meaning the family must learn to cope with the disease. The child specialist typically informs parents about outside resources, such as support groups, that might help them get though difficult times.
Once a student completes all requirements to earn child life specialist certification, he or she might work in a hospital that offers pediatric care. In this setting, the advocate might organize activities and entertainment for sick children. A specialist might use play therapy to help children understand their illnesses. Some hospitals rely on specialists to train and oversee volunteers who work with ill youngsters.
In the United States, the child life specialist certification program is offered by the Child Life Council. Other countries often refer to these specialists by different titles and impose various requirements for certification. Certain needs of sick children were recognized as early as the 1920s and gained more attention after research showed babies failed to thrive if denied physical human contact. Health researchers began looking at how older children coped with symptoms of serious illness.
In the 1980s, work began to reduce stress and boredom for children who needed hospitalization. Experts found youngsters healed better when offered emotional support and distraction from pain and fear. The Child Life Council emerged in 1982 to oversee child life specialist certification and ensure competency of these professionals. In addition to hospitals, these workers might be employed by dentists, special camps catering to sick children, and in the legal system.
