Maya Angelou wrote, “There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.” As we work with children we are given a window into their stories in many ways. Sometimes it's direct and obvious and other times in comes out in the quiet and still moments.

I am...

According to the American Psychological Association, a significant number of children in American society are exposed to traumatic life events. Traumatic events include sexual abuse, physical abuse, domestic violence, community and school violence, medical trauma, moto...

Today is World Prematurity Day and about 450,000 babies are born too soon in the United States every year, according to the March of Dimes. My own personal experience with this heartbreaking fact came in 2002 when my daughter was born 6 weeks early due to preeclampsia,...

With the newest case of Ebola diagnosed in New York, there is no shortage of news coverage and fear surrounding this development and no doubt children are being exposed to the information either from the news or from peers at school. Without an adult to help them under...

There are a lot of great apps out there that can be used in your child life practice. I learned about this free app called Tellagami at a workshop hosted by Child Life Technology, a great resource for up to date creative apps and workshops to complement your child life...

Children can express, or repress, a range of emotions when they are facing new experiences. Using books in your practice is a great way to help children deal with their fears or emotions from a safe distance. Following are a few books I love to use to help validate fee...

When a child is hospitalized, the medical environment and all the new people that will interact with that child can be overwhelming. Every new face is someone that child has to get to know and trust. Any child life specialist knows that establishing rapport is importan...

Providing age appropriate explanations to a child is an integral part of the work of a child life specialist and crucial to healthy coping for the patient. Following is one way of  explaining type 1 diabetes that could be used for older children.  In addtion to the wor...

Superheroes are prevalent in children's lives and the lure of the superhero isn’t just limited to young boys playing out the roles of Spider-Man or Iron Man. Remember Supergirl and Wonder Woman? Regardless of gender, the role of the superhero can be an important one in...