What Fears Do Child Life Specialists Address?
“The most common fears for the 3- to 5-year-old child are separation from the parent or caregiver and pain or anxiety of the unknown,” says Colleen Ducke, a child life specialist in Boston, Mass. In order to alleviate these fears, child life specialists employ a variety of techniques. Ducke explains procedures to children and their families with the help of toys and picture books, depicting hospital admissions, blood draws, IVs, castings, lumbar punctures, suturing, operations, MRIs and CT scans. She adds that the actual medical equipment is on hand and welcomed to be explored. During the actual procedure, a child life specialist may use different tactics to try and distract the child. Ducke explains that playing music during sutures, reading books during procedures and blowing bubbles during blood draws all help to refocus the child’s attention and calm fears. Another key to lessening a child’s anxiety is to increase the feeling of comfort and welcome in the hospital environment. “[Ca
