Child Health Care Emphasis

Child Life Specialist

Illness, injury, and health care environments can be distressing experiences for most children, adolescents and families.  Psychological problems related to childhood illness, injury and treatment include increased juvenile delinquency, lower reading scores, more negative ratings from authority figures, and greater prevalence of reported psychiatric disturbance in middle childhood, adolescence and adulthood.

Awareness of the potential for negative emotional effects caused by illness, injury and health care experience has led to an increased concern for the psychosocial aspects of pediatric care. In response to this concern the child life specialist profession has emerged as an "in-demand" pediatric discipline.  Child Life Specialists are an important part of the health care team focused on the developmental, emotional, social, and health education of pediatric patients and families.  Relying on creative forms of play and other age-appropriate interactions, child life specialists  seek to reduce the stress of health care experiences and enable children, adolescents and families to cope effectively with illness, injury and treatment.

For those seeking a Certification as a Child Life Specialist for a career you will need to do the following to become a Certified Child Life Specialist:

• Complete specific course work provided in the Human Development and Family Studies major with Child Health Care Emphasis. Work with an academic advisor to be sure the correct courses are taken.
• Be chosen for and successfully complete an internship at a hospital endorsed by the Association of Child Life Professionals (ACLP).  Many hospitals are now requiring the completion of a Child Life Practicum before you are eligible to apply for an internship.  Be sure to keep this in mind when making your academic plans with your advisor.
• Have your Bachelor's Degree, Child Life Course work, and Internship verified by the ACLP.