Abstract
Child Life Specialists (CLS) working in pediatric health care settings provide programs designed to reduce the stress and anxiety associated with hospitalization and illness for children and families. Assessment in child life practice typically includes attention to a range of variables found to influence the response of children and families to the stressors of hospitalization. With roots in observations of early separation experiences, attachment theory may serve as an appropriate framework from which CLS may clarify the central role of the parent–child relationship to the well being of the child. Recognition of distinctions among secure, avoidant and resistant attachment relationships can inform child life assessment and interventions designed to address the specific needs of the child and family.
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Turner, J.C. A Place for Attachment Theory in Child Life Programming: The Potential to Assess the Quality of Parent–child Relationships. Child Youth Care Forum 34, 195–207 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10566-005-3469-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10566-005-3469-0