Competency 1
The ability to assess the developmental and psychosocial needs of infants, children, youth, and families
Assessment and Intervention Discussion
In this discussion, I described how I would conduct an assessment and develop an intervention plan in response to a hypothetical scenario. I chose this assignment to represent competency 1 because it demonstrates my ability to conduct a comprehensive assessment by considering multiple factors that could impact a child’s ability to cope. Additionally, I believe that this assignment reflects my ability to not only understand assessment, but to modify my approach to the situation and needs of a patient and their family. In the future, I plan to further develop my ability to assess the developmental and psychosocial needs of children and their families through a child internship where I will have the opportunity to practice assessment in real world situations.
Developmental Assessment Paper
In this assignment, I assessed the physical/motor, social/emotional, language, and cognitive development of three children between the ages of 0-8. I chose this paper to reflect competency 1 because it demonstrates my ability to assess children’s development across multiple domains and ages. Additionally, it shows my ability to consider how factors, such as a child’s environment, can influence observations. I believe that this assignment reflects growth in my ability to use theory and other relevant information to gain insight into the developmental and psychosocial well-being of children. In the future, I plan to further develop this skill by assessing the developmental and psychosocial needs of children in healthcare environments to deepen my understanding of how this particular context influences behavior and well-being.
Competency 2
The ability to initiate and maintain meaningful and therapeutic relationships with infants, children, youth, and families
Child Life Service Monologue
For this assignment, I created a hypothetical service dialogue between a patient, family, and I. I chose this assignment for competency 2 because it shows my ability to build rapport, engage in developmentally appropriate conversation, and introduce therapeutic services to support the psychosocial needs of children and families. I believe that this assignment helps show my developing understanding of how child life specialists can build relationships with families aimed at identifying and meeting their needs. In the future, I would like to develop this skill further by initiating and maintaining relationships with real patients and families through a position as a child life intern.
Child Life Course Discussion
For this discussion, I created a developmentally appropriate legacy activity for a 9-year-old child expected to only have one month to live. I chose this assignment to represent competency 2 because it demonstrates my ability to use creative outlets to form therapeutic relationships with children and families. Additionally, this activity demonstrates the value I place on patient and family-centered care by ensuring that the child’s loved ones are involved throughout the legacy making process. Through this assignment, I show my growing ability to form supportive relationships with patients and families by considering developmental needs and the importance of family. In the future, I plan to further develop this skill by showing interest in the cultural backgrounds of patients and families and using this knowledge to inform my interventions.
Competency 3
The ability to provide opportunities for play for infants, children, youth, and families
Research Position Paper: Play in the Medical Environment
In this paper, I examined research and theory to provide support for play in the medical environment. I chose this assignment to represent competency 3 because in it I discuss the functions of play and importance of play opportunities in the medical environment to reduce distress and enhance well-being. In addition, I display an ability to assess children’s play needs using theory and research to support its therapeutic value as well as form recommendations for its implementation in the medical setting. Through this assignment, I demonstrate a strong understanding of the importance of play opportunities for children and the ability to ensure appropriate time, space, and materials to encourage these activities. In the future, I plan to further develop my ability to provide play opportunities by creating and implementing activities for children and families in the hospital setting.
Family Beliefs and Awareness of Play Handout
In this assignment, I created a handout for parents detailing how a child's culture, gender, and developmental abilities influence their play. Additionally, I presented information on the importance of a child’s play environment. I have chosen this handout for competency 3 because it reflects my understanding of how to encourage play activities among children of different backgrounds, genders, and abilities. Additionally, it reflects my ability to teach others how encourage developmentally supportive play that is sensitive to children’s needs. This assignment helps demonstrate my growing understanding of the importance of values and beliefs in shaping play and creating opportunities for it. In the future, I plan to further develop my ability to provide play opportunities to children and families by learning more ways to adapt activities to children’s individual needs. I also plan to learn more about play activities common in other cultures.
Competency 4
The ability to support infants, children, youth and families in coping with stressful events
Developmental Chart
For this assignment, I created a chart examining the challenges children in different developmental stages experience due to hospitalization, common reactions to stress/fear, and potential child life interventions. I chose this assignment for competency 4 because it reflects my ability to identify factors that may increase vulnerability to stress for children and families in the hospital environment. Additionally, it reflects my ability to promote coping through non-pharmacological child life services. I believe this chart also helps to show my growing understanding of how stressful events, such as hospitalization, impact children of various ages as well as my ability to introduce developmentally supportive coping techniques. In my future, I plan to develop this competency further by practicing the coping interventions I identified on hospitalized children and families.
Needle Fear in Children
In this literature review, I examined how medical procedures involving needles can lead to lasting fear affecting children’s developmental and psychosocial well-being. Additionally, I identified research on interventions that have been used to support coping with needle-related fear and formed evidence-based recommendations to assist those facing procedures involving needles. I have chosen this assignment to represent my attainment of competency 4 because it reflects my ability to identify a stressful experience, understand individual vulnerability, and form recommendations to assist the coping of children and families. I also believe that this assignment reflects my developing ability to use research and theory to understand patient and family needs as well as provide supportive interventions. In the future, I would like to further develop this skill by examining evidence based practices aimed at supporting children and families through other stressful medical experiences.
Service
Describe your service here. What makes it great? Use short catchy text to tell people what you offer, and the benefits they will receive. A great description gets readers in the mood, and makes them more likely to go ahead and book. Describe your service here. What makes it great? Use short catchy text to tell people what you offer, and the benefits they will receive. A great description gets readers in the mood, and makes them more likely to go ahead and book.
Competency 5
The ability to provide teaching, specific to the population served, including psychological preparation for potentially stressful experiences, with infants, children, youth, and families
IV Start Preparation Video
In this video, I completed a role play demonstrating how I would prepare a five-year-old child to receive an IV. I chose this video to represent competency 5 because it illustrates my ability to provide developmentally appropriate support for a potentially stressful medical procedure. The video also portrays my ability to use nonthreatening language, teaching aids, and sensory information during a preparation. Through this video, I demonstrate that I have expanded my ability to apply knowledge of child development and theory to form an individualized intervention aimed at meeting the psychosocial needs of a child. In the future, I plan on conducting more roleplays to further develop this skill by preparing children of different ages for various medical procedures.
'Talking With Your Child About Your Cancer Diagnosis' Handout
I created this handout to help parents discuss their cancer diagnosis with their children. I chose this assignment for competency 5 because it demonstrates my ability to teach children and families about navigating a potentially stressful situation. Through this handout, I briefly discussed the developmental and psychosocial needs of children based on research and theory. Additionally, I provided parents with simple recommendations on how to use developmentally appropriate and supportive language to address common misconceptions. I believe that this assignment shows my growing ability to support the psychosocial needs of children and families through teaching. In the future, I would like to further develop this skill by creating handouts on different diagnoses specific to each developmental level.
Competency 6
The ability to practice within the scope of professional and personal knowledge and skill base
Ethical Code Discussion #1
For this discussion, I responded to multiple scenarios by describing how child life specialists on the cases should respond to uphold their personal and professional responsibilities. I chose this assignment to represent competency 6 because it demonstrates my ability to identify and stay within child life scope of practice in situations involving ethical dilemmas. Through this assignment, I developed a deeper understanding of how to apply the Child Life Code of Ethics and recognized that not all individuals will interpret professional responsibility the same in all situations. Thus, in the future, I plan to further develop this competency by maintaining a high level of sensitivity in situations where I feel uncertain on professional boundaries and seek guidance from more experienced child life professionals.
Ethical Decision Making Model
In this paper, I presented an original ethical decision-making model informed by the ACLP Code of Professional Practice as well as my personal knowledge of child life. I then, applied the model to a hypothetical situation to illustrate my ability to practice within the scope of professional and personal responsibility for child life specialists. I chose this assignment to represent competency 9 because it portrays my understanding of scope of practice. Through this assignment, I developed a greater awareness of the importance of ethics and reflection within child life. In the future, I plan to develop this competency further by discussing ethical decision making with other child life professionals to learn additional skills to maintain personal and professional responsibility while navigating complex situations.
Competency 7
The ability to continuously engage in self-reflective professional child life practice
Reflection Paper
In this paper, I reflected on my experience taking the grief, loss, and bereavement course. I chose this assignment for competency 7 because it shows my ability to reflect on how my personal beliefs and background, as well as the emotional challenges of the field may influence my future work. Additionally, it reflects my commitment to approaching these challenges proactively to better serve patients and families. I believe that this assignment displays that I understand my responsibility to engage in self-reflection, have awareness of my own biases, and have created a plan to be better prepared to support both myself and others. In the future, I plan on further developing my ability to engage in self-reflection by debriefing with colleagues after situations that are difficult or where I notice personal discomfort.
Current Issues in Practice #2
In this paper, I explored how burnout can impact child life specialists and influence their personal well-being as well as their ability to provide psychosocial care. I chose this assignment to represent competency 7 because it demonstrates my ability to recognize a personal challenge I might face as a future child life specialist and understand its reaching professional impacts. Through this assignment, I developed a greater understanding of burnout and an awareness of my professional responsibility to reflect on how this could impact the children and families I serve. In the future, I plan to further develop this competency by spending time each week dedicated to journaling on my personal and professional life.
Competency 8
The ability to represent and communicate child life practice and psychosocial issues of infants, children, youth, and families to others
Psychosocial Development Presentation
For this assignment, I created a presentation to teach others about the psychosocial development and needs of children. I chose this assignment to represent competency 8 because it shows my ability to apply child life knowledge to educate others. Additionally, this assignment shows that I have developed a strong understanding of theory and am able to articulate my knowledge through media. In the future, I would plan to further develop this competency by presenting my knowledge of child life and the psychosocial impact of hospitalization on children and families to healthcare staff.
News Meets Family Science: Sibling Abuse Op-Ed
In this assignment, I wrote a op-ed on the psychosocial issue of sibling abuse. I chose this assignment to represent competency 8 because it demonstrates my ability to communicate psychosocial issues and developmental knowledge to a broad audience. Additionally, it shows my ability to engage in advocacy aimed at increasing awareness and minimizing the negative effects of a psychosocial issue. Though this assignment, I advanced my ability to share a family science perspective on the challenges children and families face to the general public. In the future, I would like to further develop competency 8 by sharing my perspectives through public speaking.
Competency 9
The ability to integrate clinical evidence and fundamental child life knowledge into professional decision-making
Mini Proposal
In this assignment, I utilized recent literature and my knowledge of adolescent development to inform a research proposal. I chose this assignment to represent competency 9 because it demonstrates my ability to evaluate and apply literature, use evidence and developmental knowledge to inform research design decisions and follow ethical principles related to research. Through this assignment, I have developed an understanding of how examining evidence and theory can reveal gaps in research which can be crucial to guiding decisions and advancing the field of child life. In the future, I plan to build this competency by continuing to develop my knowledge of current clinical evidence and child life knowledge.
Child Life Reviewer Form
In this assignment, I critiqued a peer-reviewed journal article examining the use of animal assisted therapy to enhance the well-being of pediatric oncology patients. I chose this assignment to represent competency 9 because it reflects my ability to critically evaluate literature by examining the article’s research methodologies, conclusions, limitations and relevancy to child life. This evaluation assisted me in making a publication decision and recommendations to the authors. I also believe that this assignment helped me practice how to approach clinical evidence and make decisions about its application to my personal child life practice. In the future, I plan to further develop this competency by discussing with other child life professionals the factors they consider when engaging in professional decision making.