Child Life Course

Lesson 1 • Settings and Populations Served

Surveys the range of clinical and community environments where child life specialists work. Prepares students to adapt practice across diverse contexts.

Lesson 2 • Core Philosophy and Values

Defines the guiding principles of normalization, family-centered care, and child empowerment. Connects philosophy to daily clinical decision-making.

Lesson 3 • Professional Scope and Standards

Outlines the official scope of practice, competency standards, and ethical guidelines governing child life specialists. Anchors all subsequent skill development.

Lesson 1 • Developmental Impact of Illness and Hospitalization

Analyzes how acute and chronic illness disrupts developmental trajectories. Connects developmental theory directly to child life assessment and intervention planning.

Lesson 2 • Theories of Child Development

Reviews major developmental theories including cognitive, psychosocial, and attachment frameworks. Establishes the theoretical lens used throughout clinical practice.

Lesson 3 • Infant and Toddler Development

Examines sensorimotor growth, early attachment, and language emergence in children ages 0–3. Informs developmentally appropriate interventions for the youngest patients.

Lesson 4 • Preschool and School-Age Development

Covers preoperational and concrete operational thinking, peer relationships, and emerging autonomy in ages 3–12. Guides selection of age-appropriate coping and play strategies.

Lesson 1 • Children's Responses to Medical Stress

Describes behavioral, emotional, and physiological stress responses across developmental stages. Enables accurate identification of distress in clinical encounters.

Lesson 2 • Stress and Coping Frameworks

Introduces transactional stress-coping models and their application to pediatric healthcare. Provides the conceptual foundation for all coping-focused interventions.

Lesson 3 • Family Stress and Coping Dynamics

Explores how parental anxiety, sibling reactions, and family systems influence child coping. Guides specialists to support the whole family unit effectively.

Lesson 1 • Types of Therapeutic Play

Surveys directive, non-directive, medical, and dramatic play modalities. Equips students to select the appropriate play type for each clinical situation.

Lesson 2 • Facilitating and Documenting Play Sessions

Teaches structured facilitation skills and clinical documentation of play-based interventions. Ensures accountability and continuity of care across the healthcare team.

Lesson 3 • Theory and Value of Play in Healthcare

Establishes the psychological and developmental rationale for play as a therapeutic medium. Grounds all subsequent play-based techniques in evidence.

Lesson 4 • Expressive Arts Modalities

Introduces art, music, movement, and narrative as expressive outlets for hospitalized children. Expands the specialist's toolkit beyond traditional play.

Lesson 1 • Child Life Role in Procedural Support

Defines the specialist's responsibilities before, during, and after medical procedures. Establishes the collaborative framework with nursing and medical staff.

Lesson 2 • Special Procedural Contexts

Addresses unique challenges in imaging, surgery, and emergency procedures. Prepares students to adapt support strategies to high-acuity and time-limited situations.

Lesson 3 • Procedural Preparation Techniques

Teaches age-appropriate preparation methods including verbal explanation, visual aids, and rehearsal. Reduces anticipatory anxiety and increases procedural cooperation.

Lesson 4 • Assessing Distress and Pain in Children

Introduces validated pediatric pain and distress assessment tools across age groups. Enables accurate measurement to guide and evaluate intervention effectiveness.

Lesson 1 • Identifying Psychosocial Risk Factors

Teaches recognition of social, environmental, and psychological risk factors that complicate coping. Enables prioritization of children and families with the greatest need.

Lesson 2 • Interdisciplinary Communication of Findings

Develops skills for presenting psychosocial findings in team rounds, written notes, and consultations. Ensures child life perspectives are integrated into the broader care plan.

Lesson 3 • Assessment Tools and Frameworks

Reviews standardized and informal tools used to evaluate coping, development, and family functioning. Builds competency in selecting and applying appropriate instruments.

Lesson 4 • Principles of Psychosocial Assessment

Introduces the purpose, scope, and ethical considerations of child life psychosocial assessment. Establishes assessment as the foundation of individualized intervention.

Lesson 1 • Specialist Self-Care in Grief Work

Addresses the emotional demands of grief-focused practice and evidence-based self-care strategies. Sustains professional effectiveness and prevents compassion fatigue.

Lesson 2 • Children's Understanding of Death

Examines how children conceptualize death at each developmental stage. Provides the foundation for all grief communication and support strategies.

Lesson 3 • End-of-Life Care and Palliative Support

Covers the child life role within palliative and hospice care teams. Prepares students to provide comfort-focused support during the dying process.

Lesson 4 • Bereavement Interventions and Follow-Up

Teaches structured bereavement support including memory-making, sibling groups, and follow-up programs. Extends child life impact beyond the acute care episode.

Lesson 1 • Advocacy and Policy Influence

Develops skills for advocating at institutional, community, and policy levels for children's psychosocial needs. Empowers graduates to shape healthcare environments beyond direct care.

Lesson 2 • Certification and Career Pathways

Outlines the credentialing process, continuing education requirements, and career advancement options. Prepares students for the transition from training to professional practice.

Lesson 3 • Program Development and Evaluation

Guides students through designing, implementing, and evaluating child life programs. Develops the administrative competency needed for leadership roles.

Lesson 4 • Supervision, Mentorship, and Leadership

Prepares students to supervise interns, mentor peers, and lead child life teams. Builds the interpersonal and organizational skills required for senior roles.