Child Development and Child Life Practice: Key Theories and Interventions

Hospitalism

Condition resulting from separation from caregiver.

ACCH

Association for the child care of children in hospitals.

Child Life Council

Established in 1982 with 3 essential responsibilities for child life specialists.

Supportive Relationships

Preventative relationships that promote well-being.

Therapeutic Relationships

Reactive relationships that respond to a child's needs.

Overarching Goals of Child Life Programs

Increase trust, coping, understanding, knowledge, educate, control, choices, play, normalize, developmental milestones; decrease stressors, misconceptions, fear, trauma, developmental regression, negative experience.

Developmental Domains

Two domains: psychosocial and physical, cognitive.

Scaffolding

A concept by Vygotsky exemplified in a hospital setting through medical play.

Mildred Parden's Types of Play

Six types of play; be prepared to identify which is not one of them.

Non-Verbal Communication

Includes expressions, clothing, body language, space, and posture.

Assessment Sources

Three sources: healthcare team, family, child.

Attachment Theory

Developed by John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth; includes secure, anxious, and avoidant attachment styles.

Coping

Resources and mechanisms to respond to or get through difficult situations.

Emotion-Based Coping

Includes techniques like deep breathing and tension release.

Problem-Based Coping

Involves actions like removing oneself from a stressful environment or seeking more information.

Temperament Types

Three types: easy, difficult, slow to warm.

Preparation for Children

Include only information the child will see or experience, sensory info, sequence of events, and reason for procedure.

Individualizing Preparation

Customize based on length of prep, use of dolls, and where to explain.

Stress Appraisal Cycle

Low information leads to high uncertainty.

Cognitive Development

Related to Piaget's theories.

Psychosocial Development

Related to Erikson's stages, including identity vs role confusion.

Importance of Medical Play

Facilitates understanding and coping in children.

Importance of Documentation

Essential for maintaining accurate patient medical records.

Sensorimotor Stage

Birth - 2 years: Learns through senses and actions (looking, touching, mouthing). Develops object permanence (understanding that objects exist even when unseen). Begins to form early mental representations. Major milestone: Shift from reflexive behavior to intentional action. Begins to understand cause and effect. Basis for language development forms near end of stage.

Preoperational Stage

2 - 7 years: Thinks symbolically (uses words and images). Egocentric thinking (difficulty seeing others' perspectives). Engages in pretend play and uses language rapidly. Struggles with logic and understanding conservation (quantity stays same despite changes in shape). Thought is intuitive rather than logical. Animism: belief that inanimate objects have feelings. Strong imagination but limited by perception.

Concrete Operational Stage

7 - 11 years: Begins logical thinking about concrete events. Understands conservation, reversibility, and classification. Can take others' perspectives more easily. Can perform simple mental operations (e.g., math, ordering). Less egocentric. Thinking is tied to real, tangible concepts. Understands rules and can apply them logically.

Formal Operational Stage

12 years and up: Develops abstract and hypothetical reasoning. Thinks about future possibilities, ideals, and moral reasoning. Engages in systematic problem-solving. Can think scientifically and reason through complex problems. May show adolescent egocentrism (imaginary audience, personal fable). Foundation for advanced moral and philosophical thought.

Trust vs. Mistrust

Birth - 1 year: Can I trust the world? Hope. Trust develops when caregivers are responsive and consistent. Mistrust occurs with neglect or unpredictability. Foundation for secure attachment.

Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt

1 - 3 years (Toddlerhood): Can I do things myself? Will. Developing independence (toilet training, feeding self). Encouragement fosters confidence. Over-criticism or control leads to shame or doubt.

Initiative vs. Guilt

3 - 6 years (Preschool): Is it okay for me to take initiative? Purpose. Child plans and initiates activities and play. Success leads to initiative and leadership. Overcontrol or criticism may cause guilt for acting independently.

Industry vs. Inferiority

6 - 12 years (School Age): Can I make it in the world of people and things? Competence. Mastery of academic, social, and physical skills. Positive feedback builds sense of accomplishment. Failure or lack of encouragement leads to inferiority.

Identity vs. Role Confusion

12 - 18 years (Adolescence): Who am I and where am I going? Fidelity. Exploration of values, beliefs, goals, and identity. Developing sense of self and future direction. Role confusion occurs when unsure about self or future roles.

Expressive Play

Physically expressive and creatively engaging play.

Creative Art

Artistic expression through various mediums.

Matching Affect

Matching state: match how the child is acting, read the room.

Baseline Behavior

How a child behaves at home; baseline behavior is used to determine if a reaction is typical of the child.

Rephrase Technique

Rephrase a word like cut or burn to be less threatening.

Look Technique

Encouragement to look at the IV or their mom instead of avoiding.

Egocentric Thinking

Difficulty in seeing others' perspectives, common in the preoperational stage.

Animism

Belief that inanimate objects have feelings, prevalent in the preoperational stage.

Abstract Reasoning

Ability to think about concepts that are not directly observable, developed in the formal operational stage.

Systematic Problem-Solving

Engaging in methodical approaches to solve complex problems, characteristic of the formal operational stage.

Adolescent Egocentrism

The phenomenon where adolescents believe they are the center of attention (imaginary audience) and have a unique personal experience (personal fable).