Child Life Methods Midterm
When did play start becoming important in the hospital system? -
When children were hospitalized, they were terrified and miserable-
It is important to include play- as play is "fundamental to the very structure and meaning of
childhood" pg. 4
1920's- first programs of play and education
1932-1937-Play program at Children's Memorial in Chicago
Best pay techniques, best for parents, what to do
1950- ten hospitals in US and Canada had play programs
Hospitalism -
Rene Spitz- severe and developmental decline, esp with infants and babies
If infants in strict isolation, that they would be fine, Spitz debunked that, **first movement
TLC to defeat hospitalism
Development Theorists in mid-20th -
Piaget, Erickson, and Bowlby
Emma Plank -
1955- Emma Plank started Child Life and Education division at Cleveland City
Hospital
Emma Plank- 1962 published:
"Working with Children in Hospitals"
"Play Lady" -
+ aspect: appealing to children and to people knowledgeable in development of
children
- aspect: less acknowledged by administrators on tight budgets or medical professionals on
tight schedules
"Child Life" -
Recognize the more encompassing services (beyond play activities) provided by
child life
1980- formally designated "child life"
Will how you describe child life vary to different age groups? -
YES!
ACCH: Association for Care of Children in Hospitals -
Est. 1967
Child life Committee 1974-standardizations formed
1982 Child Life Council Formed
Certifications for professionals-1986
Now 4,012 CCLS around the world- US 3,736
(Iowa 50 CCLS)
1|Page
,What should the playroom be -
A safe haven
1979- "Child Life Position Statement" -
Play opportunities for self expression and mastery
Maintaining family relationships, support to families
Providing essential life experiences(school, celebrating birthdays)
Providing opportunities for self-esteem and independence
How Child Life Specialists become professionals at the table -
Certifications
Academic Programs
Research- The Phoenix Research Projects- Psychosocial Care of Children in Hospitals; A
Clinical Practice Manual (Gaynard, et al 1990)
JCAHO-Joint accreditation by health care organizations
Family Centered Care- including families, advocating for parents
Need to be confident that your interactions, observations are valued and important to other
medical professionals
The Child Life Mission Statement -
"professionals intent to provide meaningful interventions in traumatic situations
involving children and families which will mitigate the impact of the trauma and preserve
basic developmental pathways and family support systems"
The Child Life Vision Statement -
"the philosophy and practice of Child Life will be applicable to any healthcare
setting and transferable to other environments or situations in which the potential for children
to cope, learn, or master is placed at risk"
What is a developmental theory and what are its 3 purposes? -
Developmental theories serve as frames of reference for examining changes in
behavior over time
1- To describe changes within one or several areas of behavior
2-To describe changes in the relations among several areas of behavior
3-to explain the course of development that has been described
Broadly, Erickson is.. -
Social
Broadly, Piaget is... -
Cognitive,
A key thing to remember about observing stages is... -
LOOK FOR TRANSITIONS!
General Piaget, what questions did she ask? -
1896-1980
Over 40 books, more then 100 articles or chapters on child psychology
Piaget questioned, "How do we come to know something?"-COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT
2|Page
, Are some ideas innate or must all knowledge be acquired?
Piaget's solution is that knowledge is a process rather then a state
Child understands by acting on his/her environment
People come to construct and understand knowledge, its not just there
Piaget's key word... -
Adaptation!! Adapt to schema-mental structures/operations
Implication to Piaget's Theories -
Knowledge is biased- experience is always filtered through the child's current
level of understanding
Defined "intelligence" as adaptation to the environment
Mental structures change as humans develop- ex. Schemes to mental operations-leads to a
certain pattern of behavior
Piaget's Stage Approach -
That cognitive development moves through a series of stages
Each stage derives from the previous stage
No stage can be skipped as the stages rely on each other as building blocks to the next
The stages are universal in all humans
Period of time where child's thinking of behavior describes mental structure they are in
Cant skip a stage because it builds up to the next
Sensorimotor period (birth to 2 years) -
Infants understand the world in terms of their own actions in the world and on the
environment. They move from simple reflexes through several steps to an organized set of
schemes
"Although newborns know almost nothing about the world, they have the potential to know
almost everything"-Piaget
The infant progresses through six stages in the construction of a sensorimotor system of
thought
**composed of 6 stages
Stage 1: Modification of Reflexes (birth to 1 month) -
A newborn is full of "wired-in" reflexes
Moro reflex (startle reflex)-birth to month, flaying of arms/startled
Palmar grasp-touch palm it grasps ALLOWS FOR ATTACHMENT
Plantar grasp (Babinski reflex)-touch palm of toes, toes curl out and open wide
Sucking
Rooting Reflex-look towards what is stroking their cheek
Stepping Reflex-if put babies feet on flat surface it will try to walk
Tonic Neck Reflex-position baby assumes when flat on back, bring leg up
Swimming-can swim
As the reflexes are activated, they gradually modify to different circumstances
The baby generalizes these behaviors and differentiates them from what began as innate
reflexes
Stage 2: Primary Circular Reactions (1 to 4 months) -
Rapid development of schemes
Circular reaction is an action that is repeated over and over again- a "habit" is formed
3|Page
When did play start becoming important in the hospital system? -
When children were hospitalized, they were terrified and miserable-
It is important to include play- as play is "fundamental to the very structure and meaning of
childhood" pg. 4
1920's- first programs of play and education
1932-1937-Play program at Children's Memorial in Chicago
Best pay techniques, best for parents, what to do
1950- ten hospitals in US and Canada had play programs
Hospitalism -
Rene Spitz- severe and developmental decline, esp with infants and babies
If infants in strict isolation, that they would be fine, Spitz debunked that, **first movement
TLC to defeat hospitalism
Development Theorists in mid-20th -
Piaget, Erickson, and Bowlby
Emma Plank -
1955- Emma Plank started Child Life and Education division at Cleveland City
Hospital
Emma Plank- 1962 published:
"Working with Children in Hospitals"
"Play Lady" -
+ aspect: appealing to children and to people knowledgeable in development of
children
- aspect: less acknowledged by administrators on tight budgets or medical professionals on
tight schedules
"Child Life" -
Recognize the more encompassing services (beyond play activities) provided by
child life
1980- formally designated "child life"
Will how you describe child life vary to different age groups? -
YES!
ACCH: Association for Care of Children in Hospitals -
Est. 1967
Child life Committee 1974-standardizations formed
1982 Child Life Council Formed
Certifications for professionals-1986
Now 4,012 CCLS around the world- US 3,736
(Iowa 50 CCLS)
1|Page
,What should the playroom be -
A safe haven
1979- "Child Life Position Statement" -
Play opportunities for self expression and mastery
Maintaining family relationships, support to families
Providing essential life experiences(school, celebrating birthdays)
Providing opportunities for self-esteem and independence
How Child Life Specialists become professionals at the table -
Certifications
Academic Programs
Research- The Phoenix Research Projects- Psychosocial Care of Children in Hospitals; A
Clinical Practice Manual (Gaynard, et al 1990)
JCAHO-Joint accreditation by health care organizations
Family Centered Care- including families, advocating for parents
Need to be confident that your interactions, observations are valued and important to other
medical professionals
The Child Life Mission Statement -
"professionals intent to provide meaningful interventions in traumatic situations
involving children and families which will mitigate the impact of the trauma and preserve
basic developmental pathways and family support systems"
The Child Life Vision Statement -
"the philosophy and practice of Child Life will be applicable to any healthcare
setting and transferable to other environments or situations in which the potential for children
to cope, learn, or master is placed at risk"
What is a developmental theory and what are its 3 purposes? -
Developmental theories serve as frames of reference for examining changes in
behavior over time
1- To describe changes within one or several areas of behavior
2-To describe changes in the relations among several areas of behavior
3-to explain the course of development that has been described
Broadly, Erickson is.. -
Social
Broadly, Piaget is... -
Cognitive,
A key thing to remember about observing stages is... -
LOOK FOR TRANSITIONS!
General Piaget, what questions did she ask? -
1896-1980
Over 40 books, more then 100 articles or chapters on child psychology
Piaget questioned, "How do we come to know something?"-COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT
2|Page
, Are some ideas innate or must all knowledge be acquired?
Piaget's solution is that knowledge is a process rather then a state
Child understands by acting on his/her environment
People come to construct and understand knowledge, its not just there
Piaget's key word... -
Adaptation!! Adapt to schema-mental structures/operations
Implication to Piaget's Theories -
Knowledge is biased- experience is always filtered through the child's current
level of understanding
Defined "intelligence" as adaptation to the environment
Mental structures change as humans develop- ex. Schemes to mental operations-leads to a
certain pattern of behavior
Piaget's Stage Approach -
That cognitive development moves through a series of stages
Each stage derives from the previous stage
No stage can be skipped as the stages rely on each other as building blocks to the next
The stages are universal in all humans
Period of time where child's thinking of behavior describes mental structure they are in
Cant skip a stage because it builds up to the next
Sensorimotor period (birth to 2 years) -
Infants understand the world in terms of their own actions in the world and on the
environment. They move from simple reflexes through several steps to an organized set of
schemes
"Although newborns know almost nothing about the world, they have the potential to know
almost everything"-Piaget
The infant progresses through six stages in the construction of a sensorimotor system of
thought
**composed of 6 stages
Stage 1: Modification of Reflexes (birth to 1 month) -
A newborn is full of "wired-in" reflexes
Moro reflex (startle reflex)-birth to month, flaying of arms/startled
Palmar grasp-touch palm it grasps ALLOWS FOR ATTACHMENT
Plantar grasp (Babinski reflex)-touch palm of toes, toes curl out and open wide
Sucking
Rooting Reflex-look towards what is stroking their cheek
Stepping Reflex-if put babies feet on flat surface it will try to walk
Tonic Neck Reflex-position baby assumes when flat on back, bring leg up
Swimming-can swim
As the reflexes are activated, they gradually modify to different circumstances
The baby generalizes these behaviors and differentiates them from what began as innate
reflexes
Stage 2: Primary Circular Reactions (1 to 4 months) -
Rapid development of schemes
Circular reaction is an action that is repeated over and over again- a "habit" is formed
3|Page
