Incentive Charts to Reinforce Behavior
How can we motivate children to promote positive behavior? One of my favorite tools to use is a tangible tracking system that identifies the behavior we want to see.
How can we motivate children to promote positive behavior? One of my favorite tools to use is a tangible tracking system that identifies the behavior we want to see.
In a perfect world kids would be at home and not inpatient at a hospital, Child Life Specialists with the help of SmileMakers are certainly the groups to take a difficult situation and make it so much better.
As we continue to navigate this COVID-conscious world, many people may be unsure of how to celebrate our favorite traditions safely. SmileMakers is here to help you get the fun started with some ideas on how to enjoy good company and some seasonal celebrations with your community.
In today’s busy world of healthcare, it can be hard for Child Life Specialists to reach every single child before they are admitted to the hospital. Whether it's an admission after an ER visit or a pre-planned appointment, giving a patient and their family an admit bag can help them feel a little more “at home.”
As soon as any patient walks in our door, we thoroughly begin to assess their developmental level and sensory needs. For our many patients with sensory needs and kids with special abilities, we think critically about how the world around them influences their ability to cope with a medical experience.
We do the best we can to convey to our patients that safety is our number one priority when they are in our care. But what happens after they walk out that door? Some of the most critical moments happen before a patient is discharged as they are receiving instructions for how to continue to heal at home and return to “normal.”