Intro to Child Life Final (uiowa)
traumatic experience -
Refers to an experience that is emotionally painful, distressing, or shocking (Can
include things such as traffic accidents, abuse and neglect, peer or family suicide, dog bite,
severe burns, natural disaster, or witnessing a serious or violent crime)
shock, confusion, disbelief, anger, blame, sadness, helplessness -
What are 7 responses that are normal for parents/caregivers when a traumatic
experience happens (to their child)
shock, denial, confusion, anger/blame, regression, interrupted sleep, physical complaints,
withdrawal, distractibility, separation anxiety, stranger anxiety, violent play themes,
flashbacks, avoidance, worry about dying, school avoidance, guilt, sadness or suicidal
thoughts -
What are 17 responses that are common in siblings when a traumatic event
happens to their sibling?
re-telling story with multiple versions; story not indicative of injury; unable to account for
whereabouts of family during injury, gut feeling -
What are 4 red flags that the grief or situation has gone beyond normal reactions
for a child
advocation -
Contact a social worker or physician, expressing concerns, observing parent-child
interactions and observing parent-sibling interactions are all steps a CLS needs to take when
trying to do what for the patient/family
severity, personal resources, social resources -
What are 3 major variables when it comes to families in crisis?
empathetic -
What type of approach should a CLS use in order to identify feelings, restate and
clarify responses of family members, listen quietly, and validate a family's loss
giving parents choices, access to resources, memory making -
What are 3 common family interventions that a CCLS may use when doing
interventions for sudden death of a child (or any intervention)?
request sibling support, opportunities for control and expression, encourage routines, educate,
validate feelings -
What are 5 common family supports that a CLS might do?
newborn to 3 -
What age group's understanding of death is characterized by not comprehending
death, aware of constant buzz around house, and aware of parent's sadness
newborn to 3 -
1|Page
, What age group's interventions around death is characterized by maintaining
routines but allowing flexibility, choosing familiar and supportive caregivers, assigning a
person of support for any memorial services, acknowledging all feelings, and giving extra
hugs and attention
3-5 -
What age group's understanding of death is characterized by seeing death as
temporary and reversible, may feel ambivalent, magical thinking may lead to them assuming
responsibility for the death
3-5 -
What age group's interventions around death is characterized by reinforce that
when people are sad they cry and crying is natural, read stories, provide materials for child to
use arty as an expressive activity, encourage dialogue, expect misbehavior, and offer guided
play with themes of death
6-9 -
What age group's understanding of death is characterized by beginning to
understand the concept, feels it happens to other people, may be superstitious about death,
uncomfortable in expressing feelings, and worry that other important people may die.
Encourage exploration of feelings by asking the child to answer their own question.
6-9 -
What age group's interventions around death is characterized by listening to see
what kind of information the child is seeing, increase physical activity while role-modeling
stress reducing behaviors, work on identifying more sophisticated feelings, encourage
creative outlets for feelings
9-12 -
What age group's understanding of death is characterized by accepting death as
final, having personal fear of death, maybe morbidly interested in skeletons or gruesome
details of violent deaths. Allow for spiritual development and probe for thoughts and feelings
9-12 -
What age group's interventions around death is characterized by encouraging
creative expression of feelings, exploring support groups and peer-to-peer connections,
establishing family traditions and memorial, and incorporating children into rituals, not just at
time of death, but on important anniversaries too.
adolescents -
What age group's understanding of death is characterized by having an adult
concept of death, and deals with loss based on experience and developmental factors,
experiences thrill of recklessness, focuses on present, is developing strong philosophical
views, and questions the existence of an afterlife. treat them like an adult and role model
adult behaviors.
adolescents -
What age group's interventions around death is characterized by allowing informed
participation, encourage peer support, suggest individual and group expressions of grief,
support group advocacy for causes, recommend creative outlets
2|Page
, irreversibility, nonfunctionality, universality, causality -
What are 4 concepts throughout all children's understanding of death that are
achieved by the time they fully understand the concept
irreversibility -
This concept around death is the idea that something is dead and will not come
alive again
nonfunctionality -
This concept around death is the understanding that all external and internal
functions have stopped (breathing, thinking, moving)
universality -
This concept around death is the idea that all living things eventually die
causality -
This concept around death is the ability to understand both internal and external
events that bring about death
7-
Around what age do children achieve some of the concepts surrounding death
child who is dying -
Some interventions a CLS might use when it comes to this type of child and grief
are: not underestimating their capacity to understand, create open communication, provide
creative outlets, follow the child's lead, be honest. allow them time to say good-byes, and
help them live (through things like Make-A-Wish)
adolescent who is dying -
Some interventions a CLS might use when it comes to this type of child and grief
are: tell them what is happening, acknowledge sadness, allow them to make plans and bring
closure, intervene if denial occurs, respond to indirect please for support, enable expression
of needs and wishes to pursue unfinished business, advocate for end of treatment choices, and
support their decisions on where and how they wish to die
child life specialist -
When a family is in crisis, who has the ability to not back down, listen and support,
respect choices, offer to help, and maintain a relationship
grief -
Thoughts and feelings that are experienced when someone they love dies, It is the
internal meaning given to the experience of bereavement
Mourning -
What is defined as grief gone public
shock, angry sadness, conservation and withdrawal/despair, searching for meaning -
What are the 4 phases of parental grief
3|Page
traumatic experience -
Refers to an experience that is emotionally painful, distressing, or shocking (Can
include things such as traffic accidents, abuse and neglect, peer or family suicide, dog bite,
severe burns, natural disaster, or witnessing a serious or violent crime)
shock, confusion, disbelief, anger, blame, sadness, helplessness -
What are 7 responses that are normal for parents/caregivers when a traumatic
experience happens (to their child)
shock, denial, confusion, anger/blame, regression, interrupted sleep, physical complaints,
withdrawal, distractibility, separation anxiety, stranger anxiety, violent play themes,
flashbacks, avoidance, worry about dying, school avoidance, guilt, sadness or suicidal
thoughts -
What are 17 responses that are common in siblings when a traumatic event
happens to their sibling?
re-telling story with multiple versions; story not indicative of injury; unable to account for
whereabouts of family during injury, gut feeling -
What are 4 red flags that the grief or situation has gone beyond normal reactions
for a child
advocation -
Contact a social worker or physician, expressing concerns, observing parent-child
interactions and observing parent-sibling interactions are all steps a CLS needs to take when
trying to do what for the patient/family
severity, personal resources, social resources -
What are 3 major variables when it comes to families in crisis?
empathetic -
What type of approach should a CLS use in order to identify feelings, restate and
clarify responses of family members, listen quietly, and validate a family's loss
giving parents choices, access to resources, memory making -
What are 3 common family interventions that a CCLS may use when doing
interventions for sudden death of a child (or any intervention)?
request sibling support, opportunities for control and expression, encourage routines, educate,
validate feelings -
What are 5 common family supports that a CLS might do?
newborn to 3 -
What age group's understanding of death is characterized by not comprehending
death, aware of constant buzz around house, and aware of parent's sadness
newborn to 3 -
1|Page
, What age group's interventions around death is characterized by maintaining
routines but allowing flexibility, choosing familiar and supportive caregivers, assigning a
person of support for any memorial services, acknowledging all feelings, and giving extra
hugs and attention
3-5 -
What age group's understanding of death is characterized by seeing death as
temporary and reversible, may feel ambivalent, magical thinking may lead to them assuming
responsibility for the death
3-5 -
What age group's interventions around death is characterized by reinforce that
when people are sad they cry and crying is natural, read stories, provide materials for child to
use arty as an expressive activity, encourage dialogue, expect misbehavior, and offer guided
play with themes of death
6-9 -
What age group's understanding of death is characterized by beginning to
understand the concept, feels it happens to other people, may be superstitious about death,
uncomfortable in expressing feelings, and worry that other important people may die.
Encourage exploration of feelings by asking the child to answer their own question.
6-9 -
What age group's interventions around death is characterized by listening to see
what kind of information the child is seeing, increase physical activity while role-modeling
stress reducing behaviors, work on identifying more sophisticated feelings, encourage
creative outlets for feelings
9-12 -
What age group's understanding of death is characterized by accepting death as
final, having personal fear of death, maybe morbidly interested in skeletons or gruesome
details of violent deaths. Allow for spiritual development and probe for thoughts and feelings
9-12 -
What age group's interventions around death is characterized by encouraging
creative expression of feelings, exploring support groups and peer-to-peer connections,
establishing family traditions and memorial, and incorporating children into rituals, not just at
time of death, but on important anniversaries too.
adolescents -
What age group's understanding of death is characterized by having an adult
concept of death, and deals with loss based on experience and developmental factors,
experiences thrill of recklessness, focuses on present, is developing strong philosophical
views, and questions the existence of an afterlife. treat them like an adult and role model
adult behaviors.
adolescents -
What age group's interventions around death is characterized by allowing informed
participation, encourage peer support, suggest individual and group expressions of grief,
support group advocacy for causes, recommend creative outlets
2|Page
, irreversibility, nonfunctionality, universality, causality -
What are 4 concepts throughout all children's understanding of death that are
achieved by the time they fully understand the concept
irreversibility -
This concept around death is the idea that something is dead and will not come
alive again
nonfunctionality -
This concept around death is the understanding that all external and internal
functions have stopped (breathing, thinking, moving)
universality -
This concept around death is the idea that all living things eventually die
causality -
This concept around death is the ability to understand both internal and external
events that bring about death
7-
Around what age do children achieve some of the concepts surrounding death
child who is dying -
Some interventions a CLS might use when it comes to this type of child and grief
are: not underestimating their capacity to understand, create open communication, provide
creative outlets, follow the child's lead, be honest. allow them time to say good-byes, and
help them live (through things like Make-A-Wish)
adolescent who is dying -
Some interventions a CLS might use when it comes to this type of child and grief
are: tell them what is happening, acknowledge sadness, allow them to make plans and bring
closure, intervene if denial occurs, respond to indirect please for support, enable expression
of needs and wishes to pursue unfinished business, advocate for end of treatment choices, and
support their decisions on where and how they wish to die
child life specialist -
When a family is in crisis, who has the ability to not back down, listen and support,
respect choices, offer to help, and maintain a relationship
grief -
Thoughts and feelings that are experienced when someone they love dies, It is the
internal meaning given to the experience of bereavement
Mourning -
What is defined as grief gone public
shock, angry sadness, conservation and withdrawal/despair, searching for meaning -
What are the 4 phases of parental grief
3|Page
