Child Life Therapeutic Play Interventions Flashcards
6 cards from real Child Life Exam practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Child Life Therapeutic Play Interventions flashcards as text
A child life specialist observes a 6-year-old playing with doctor kits and repeatedly saying 'It's going to hurt a lot and you can't do anything about it' to a doll. This play MOST likely indicates:
Answer: The child may be processing feelings of helplessness and fear related to their own medical experiences
Repetitive medical play themes with themes of helplessness and pain often reflect the child's own unresolved feelings about their medical experiences.
The distinction between therapeutic play and play therapy is important because:
Answer: Therapeutic play is used by child life specialists within their scope; play therapy is a specialized mental health treatment requiring additional credentialing
Therapeutic play is a child life intervention using play to achieve goals like preparation, coping, and normalization. Play therapy is a mental health modality requiring specialized graduate training and credentials.
When adapting play activities for a child with limited mobility due to a full body cast, the child life specialist should PRIMARILY focus on:
Answer: Identifying creative adaptations that allow meaningful play within the child's current physical capabilities
Child life specialists are skilled at adapting activities to meet children where they are, finding creative ways to provide meaningful play experiences within any physical limitation.
Sibling play sessions in the hospital should include:
Answer: A mix of normalization activities and opportunities to express feelings about the sibling's illness through play
Sibling play sessions should balance normal sibling interaction with therapeutic opportunities to process feelings about having a sick brother or sister.
A child life specialist is planning a group play activity for children ages 4-12 on a mixed medical-surgical unit. The MOST important consideration is:
Answer: Selecting an activity that can be adapted across developmental levels and physical abilities of all participants
Group activities on mixed units must be adaptable across a wide developmental and physical ability range, allowing each child to participate at their own level.
Evidence-based research on play in healthcare settings consistently demonstrates that therapeutic play interventions:
Answer: Significantly reduce anxiety, pain perception, and behavioral distress while improving coping and cooperation
A robust body of research demonstrates that therapeutic play interventions significantly improve multiple outcomes including reduced anxiety, pain, and distress, and improved coping and procedural cooperation.