5510 Part A - Comprehensive Notes: Child Life Assessments, Coursework, and Internship Pathways
Course Overview: Assessments in Child Life, Classroom Flow, and Certification Pathways
Topic focus: assessments in child life, how hospitalization affects children across different ages, and interventions to help. Related topics include child life competencies and family-centered care. The day also includes a Snoopy movie activity, a Kahoot, and a short family-class survey. Breaks and lunch are built in.
Class tone and logistics
The instructor is casual and open to breaks if needed; the day is long and aims to move quickly.
If you need a break, you can step out or ask for a break without disruption.
Introductions and course refresher
Introductions will start; the instructor shares about themselves first before students introduce themselves.
This session serves as a refresher for many students; assignments and deadlines are outlined on day one and in the syllabus.
Assignments and deadlines (structure overview)
All assignments are spread over weeks; details appear in the syllabus, which is the reference point for rubrics and due dates.
Formatting expectations: -point font, double-spaced, and APA format.
Classroom routines and environment
Food policy: technically food is not allowed in the classroom, but accommodations may be made; leave the room clean and discard trash in the designated bins outside the door (trash and recycling available).
Restroom access is nearby; a water machine is at the end of the hallway; bottled water and pop are available at another location.
First two assignments: Diagnosis papers
Assignment 1: Diagnosis paper #1 — 2 to 3 pages, summary of one pediatric diagnosis; discuss illness, how it’s diagnosed, treatment, and how the diagnosis might impact children and families.
Assignment 2: Diagnosis paper #2 — a different pediatric diagnosis; same structure as Paper 1.
Both papers must be pediatric-focused; use provided ideas or bring in other relevant content. See rubric in the syllabus; criteria align with the rubric to earn full points.
Journal article review (assignment)
Scope: review three journal articles related to children in the hospital.
Length: pages total, approximately page per article.
Content: summarize what you learned, what the articles say, your viewpoint, and how findings might impact practice with children.
Rubric is in elearning; use it to guide inclusion of sources and analysis.
ACEs study (assignment)
Topic: Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and the long-term impact of childhood trauma on health and functioning across the lifespan.
Deliverable: a paper highlighting the important parts of ACEs literature, including interpretation and implications for practice.
Resources: videos and articles are uploaded in elearning under the ACEs section.
Note: ACEs emphasize that trauma is common and influences interactions and outcomes in both childhood and adulthood; sensitivity and trauma-informed care are essential.
Therapeutic play activities assignment
Task: design one play activity for each age group: infant/toddlers, preschoolers, school-age, and adolescents.
Delivery: there is a form in elearning to fill out; you do not need to improvise every activity from scratch.
Guidance: use existing resources (books, office references, Pinterest, Google, etc.). The key is to articulate how each activity supports a hospitalized child.
Case studies assignment (integration of knowledge)
Four case studies are provided; select three to analyze.
For each chosen case: identify stressors, challenges, and how child life can help, using concepts discussed throughout the semester.
Integration: incorporate official child life documents from elearning as part of the analysis.
Sources: use all of your sources; the assignment is designed to synthesize knowledge from the course.
Culture and health care presentation
Task: choose a culture different from your own and examine their views on health care, including similarities and differences with your own view.
Consider barriers faced when navigating the American health care system and how to assist someone from that culture in using the system.
Sign-ups will occur next class; cultures can be defined broadly (country, religion, region) but should be specific (e.g., a particular Native American tribe or a defined region).
Special topics: final paper and in-class presentation
The Special Topics course component includes a paper and an in-class presentation on a pediatric health care topic.
There is a detailed rubric emphasizing sources (five total sources; at least must be journal articles). Three journal articles used for the Journal Article Review can be reused for this assignment, reducing extra work; two additional non-journal sources (e.g., hospital websites) can be added if needed.
This is designed to synthesize and apply the semester’s learning.
In-class reflections (mid-semester activity)
In-class reflections occur during the middle three classes.
You’ll be given a short list of questions; you pick one or more and write a few paragraphs during class. Handwritten submissions are allowed; there is also a Dropbox for submission.
Important dates and scheduling notes
Special Topics paper due around a week before the final special topics presentation; the final class date is November , with the presentation following as scheduled.
The instructor aims to provide feedback on papers before presentations when possible.
A classroom activity to illustrate hospital chaos
Activity involves distributing papers for a reflective exercise on the chaotic hospital environment.
Rationale: hospitals see many different people entering a child’s room (estimates mention roughly individuals) across the care trajectory (ER entry, vital signs, assessments, room assignment, nursing staff, physicians, imaging, phlebotomy, etc.).
The exercise highlights sensory clutter (beeping machines, noises) and the lack of consistency for a hospitalized child.
Goal: foster empathy and understanding of the hospital’s chaotic nature from a child’s perspective.
Quick takeaways and practical tips
The assessment focus in child life is rooted in structured pathways (degree, internship, exam) and robust hands-on experience.
Trauma-informed approach (ACEs) is essential when working with children and families in hospital settings.
When planning assignments, reuse appropriate journal articles across related projects to reduce workload; maintain diverse sources (journal articles plus other credible sources).
Build a strong practicum and volunteer footprint early to improve internship prospects.
Use campus resources proactively for financial aid, mental health, and academic success support.
Key mental model for exams and practice
Always anchor your responses in the assessment phase first; do not overfit to past cases.
When in doubt, consult rubrics and course materials in the syllabus; align responses with course objectives and professional standards.
Reference points for further study
ACEs literature and trauma-informed care foundations.
Schooling requirements for certification and the latest ACLP (or equivalent) guidelines.
Pediatric hospital practices, family-centered care principles, and child life professional standards.