Child Life Exam Child Life Specialist 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A child life specialist observes a 4-year-old engaging in solitary play next to other children. Which developmental assessment is MOST accurate?
- The child is socially withdrawn and needs intervention
- This is a normal play pattern for preschoolers transitioning to cooperative play (Correct answer)
- The child has autism spectrum disorder
- This indicates developmental regression
Correct answer: This is a normal play pattern for preschoolers transitioning to cooperative play
Solitary and parallel play are developmentally normal for preschoolers who are beginning to transition toward cooperative play.
Question 2: Which coping strategy is MOST effective for a school-age child undergoing a painful dressing change?
- Distraction combined with age-appropriate procedural information (Correct answer)
- Complete sedation for all dressing changes
- Parental restraint without explanation
- Encouraging the child to 'be brave' and not cry
Correct answer: Distraction combined with age-appropriate procedural information
Combining distraction with accurate preparation provides both cognitive engagement and psychoeducational support during painful procedures.
Question 3: A teenager with a new diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes expresses anger and refuses to engage in diabetes education. The BEST child life response is to:
- Insist on immediate education to ensure medical compliance
- Acknowledge the teen's feelings and provide space while offering ongoing support (Correct answer)
- Report the refusal to the medical team as non-compliance
- Involve only the parents in education since the teen is resistant
Correct answer: Acknowledge the teen's feelings and provide space while offering ongoing support
Validating the adolescent's emotional response and maintaining a supportive presence builds trust and readiness to engage in coping and education.
Question 4: Which ethical principle guides a child life specialist to ensure a school-age child receives information about their own medical condition?
- Beneficence only
- Nonmaleficence
- Autonomy and assent (Correct answer)
- Justice and resource allocation
Correct answer: Autonomy and assent
Autonomy and assent principles support providing developmentally appropriate information so children can meaningfully participate in decisions about their care.
Question 5: A child life specialist is assessing a sibling of a hospitalized child. Which concern is MOST common for siblings?
- Jealousy, fear, guilt, and feelings of abandonment (Correct answer)
- Academic excellence improvements
- Social isolation from peers
- Increased self-esteem due to maturity
Correct answer: Jealousy, fear, guilt, and feelings of abandonment
Siblings of hospitalized children frequently experience a complex mix of jealousy, fear of the illness spreading, guilt, and feeling left out by preoccupied parents.
Question 6: Which play type is MOST appropriate for an infant aged 6–12 months in the hospital?
- Cooperative board games
- Sensorimotor play with age-appropriate toys, peek-a-boo, and social interaction (Correct answer)
- Structured arts and crafts
- Role-play with medical equipment
Correct answer: Sensorimotor play with age-appropriate toys, peek-a-boo, and social interaction
Infants at this stage are in the sensorimotor phase and benefit from play that stimulates senses and supports social-emotional bonding.
Question 7: A child life specialist is asked to support a family whose child has just died in the ED. The FIRST priority is to:
- Begin a formal grief assessment tool
- Offer a quiet private space and compassionate presence without imposing structure (Correct answer)
- Provide bereavement pamphlets immediately
- Contact social work before engaging the family
Correct answer: Offer a quiet private space and compassionate presence without imposing structure
In acute bereavement, providing a calm, private presence and allowing the family to guide the interaction is the most immediate and respectful intervention.
Child Life Exam Child Life Specialist 3
A child life specialist observes a 4-year-old engaging in solitary play next to other children.
Which developmental assessment is MOST accurate?