When Play Looks Different: Activities for Kids with Disabilities and Medical Needs

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Hello, my friends. I'm so glad you're
here.

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Welcome back to Inside the Children's
Hospital.

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I'm your host, Katie Taylor, a certified
childlife specialist.

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One of the things I love most about being
a childlife specialist is that

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we find ways to play with kids in just
about any situation.

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I mean any situation. I have played with
kids in an intensive care unit.

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I have played with kids on an operating
room table.

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have played with kids in hospital
cafeterias.

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You can pretty much play anywhere.

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But I also know that for parents whose
children have developmental disabilities,

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complex medical needs, or spend a lot of
time in the hospital,

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play might look very different from what
you imagined it would be.

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And sometimes there's a real grief that
can come with that.

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So today I want to talk about what play
can look like.

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Even when your child can't get out of bed,

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can't communicate with words, or can't
participate in the ways

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we traditionally think about play.

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I'm joined by my friend and fellow
childlife specialist,

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Annie Sunshine Gunning. No, Sunshine is
not her real middle name,

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she just is Sunshine. Annie has been a
childlife specialist for 25 years,

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and through her private practice empower
through play and her role at Hope for HIE,

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she helps families bring play into their
everyday lives,

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including children with significant
medical and developmental needs.

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We're talking about simple ways to adapt
activities,

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how to help siblings play together,

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and what you can ask your child's
healthcare team to make play more
accessible.

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And I think my favorite reminder from this
conversation is that play doesn't have

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to look a certain way to be meaningful.

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And sometimes it's less about the exact
activity that you're doing

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and more about the connection you're
having with your child at that time.

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Okay, here's my conversation with Annie.

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Hello, my friends. I'm so you're happy
you're here today.

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I'm mostly happy because I'm with Annie
Sunshine Gunning,

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who is a certified childlife specialist of
25 years.

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And I have gotten to know over the past
several working together through Child
Life

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on Call and just gotten to kind of be an
outside spectator to how Annie

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has started supporting families outside of
the hospital setting.

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She has been a certified childlife
specialist for 25 years,

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worked in multiple settings in and out of
the hospital.

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And now supports families from afar.

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But she also has a private practice called
Empower Through Play,

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in which she works with nonprofit
organizations and she goes to families'
houses

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and she works with kids on hospice and she
runs so many groups.

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She's just, she's just amazing.

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So, Annie, did I what what am I missing?

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What should people know about you?

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I think you got it all. Yeah. That kind of
encompasses it all.

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I've been in childlife for a long time and
I just switched from hospital

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to like the community based private
practice because I knew I I still loved
it,

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but I just needed to do change it up a
little bit and do something

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a little bit different. And this was that
for me.

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This was a way to still do child life,

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but just in a different way.

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Absolutely. Well, we're here today because
you and I get the question a lot.

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you probably get it a lot more than I do
because you work with families

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who have kids who have brain injuries at
birth.

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And that can kind of cause a whole
spectrum of where you fall
developmentally.

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And what are the questions you get most
from families that you're finding that

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you're answering when it comes to play?

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Yes, I think so I work one of the
organizations I work with and it's

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all virtual is Hope for HIE. So this is
families whose kids have either gotten

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a brain injury or had a brain injury at
birth or that it's been acquired

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in their in childhood. So a lot of times I
do talk with parents about like they

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ask me, How do how do I play with my kid
or how do I get the siblings to play?

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Because they're not playing in the way
they thought that they would be able to,

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or what they maybe had intended,

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or I have these toys and they're not
playing like the siblings are

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What do we do? ~ to still make sure
they're included in their playing.

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~ and so I and it, you know, a lot of
times it just varies in the setting.

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Every child, of course, is very different
and you adapt to what they need.

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But one thing I also also tell parents a
lot is eat so if your child has,

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you know, pretty like they're not really
able to engage a lot on their own.

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~ they're they require a lot of care.

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And maybe they're in a chair and they need
what need hand over hand play time

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or they're nonverbal.

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And they can still be a part of playtime
and interaction.

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Like it could be in the kitchen cooking
with you and they could be there

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and then you're letting them smell
different things that you're making.

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You're describing it, you're talking about
it,

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you are singing songs while you're doing
it.

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So I feel like it doesn't play just looks
different.

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There's still a way to incorporate them
into your everyday things

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by describing what you're doing,

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how things feel, how they smell,

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how they taste, what they look like,

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all of those things, and just include your
child while you're doing it.

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To me.

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that's still including them in in a play.

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Like they're still experiencing lots of
things in their world by doing that.

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And the same thing I just did like talked
with somebody about like a gardening,

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gardening outside and how you can still
include kids,

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but they can't sit and garden on the
ground.

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my gosh, I love that. It's making me think
that like

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Fancy.

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at per usual, parents are having to grieve
a lot of what they thought play might

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look like for their child. And so when
they think about play

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in the traditional sense, they're not
getting on the floor

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and building magnetiles and they're not
playing pretend and dress up.

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And that can feel like a loss.

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But what you're saying is if they can
start to adapt what play could look like.

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And you and I know as childlife
specialists,

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play is like it could be everywhere,

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anytime, no matter what, even during a
painful procedure like we can play,

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that

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Absolutely.

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kind of adjusting your view on play will
make a big difference.

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Yes, I agree one hundred percent.

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And that's something that I that's exactly
what I tell parents.

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Like it's really just us adjusting to what
we think play should be and what

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it can be for that child. And it doesn't
have to be an all out play session where

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you're on the floor, like they might be
sitting in the chair with you next to you,

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or you're holding them and you're reading
books and you know,

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you're or you're you're just doing
something kind of messy on a tray on your
lap,

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maybe just plating a little bit of flour,

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like or you're just doing hand over hand
coloring.

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That's playful.

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That is playful. And that's and it's more
I think it's more really about

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the connection between the caregiver
during that time as opposed

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to the actual play experience or activity
or whatever.

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I think it's more about their time with
you and what you're doing during that

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connection.

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Yeah, and is it the same for siblings?

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So when parents reach out and I know you
had a parent reach out right

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at the beginning when you started working
for Hope for HIE and this was

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a mom from another country and had a son
with HIE and said,

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How do I get my older daughter who's nine
to play with him when

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she doesn't know what to do?

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Yes. Yep. I think it's the I think yeah,

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it's along those same kind of lines.

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And I think you could talk to the sibling
about like what are their interests,

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what do they want to do? What do they
like?

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And then we bring that into the sibling
like the their sibling and what they want

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to do with them. So if you really love
playing games or playing a board game,

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which I don't know if anybody likes board
games still,

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but they're I'm a huge fan. But like bring
that

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I do. I like them if they're over in 30
minutes.

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If we're over thirty minutes,

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I'm done.

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But it can be any kind of like little
plaything that like the sibling likes.

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Bring that into, you know, your sibling
who has the disabilities.

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And then we adapt it so they can it's it's
again,

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I it just really think it's about that
connection of like,

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what are your interests? What do you
really like to do?

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And let's bring your sibling in so you
guys can spend this time together.

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You really like making bracelets?

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Well, let's just make them side by side.

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I'll make you one, you make me one,

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and we'll trade or I'll just make them
both,

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but I'm gonna make them matching.

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And now we have these

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Yeah.

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matching bracelets and we

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talked about the colors and why we're
making rainbow bracelets and we're kind

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Yeah.

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of building on that interaction.

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It's making me think of like, okay,

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we've been playing life a lot at my house.

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And so you have the spinner, and but the
spinner comes off.

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And so maybe you take the spinner part off
and you have the sibling with

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a disability point at a color and that's
the one you get and you put it back down.

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So it's just like, how can we incorporate

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Totally.

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them? Maybe it's not the way that the game
was supposed to be envisioned,

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but you you adapt for your family.

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Yeah. And they or like maybe in the same
kind of sense with the board,

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it makes me think of you just have a a
number like a paper with colors

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or with numbers and somehow they point or
use their you know device

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and they say three instead of doing a
spinner or rolling a dice and they just
point

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to three and you move their person three.

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So there's little adaptions like that you
can make or buy those big giant dice that

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are easier.

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And you can throw

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Yeah.

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those if you can't hold something little,

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but maybe you can hold a really big giant
like foamy dice and throw that

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and use that. So little things like that.

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I love that. I haven't even thought about
foam dice.

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That's such a good idea. It makes like
family game night way more fun.

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I have I have two. I use them quite a bit
for all different things,

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but Yeah. Yeah. For sure.

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~

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okay, I'm also thinking about kids who
maybe don't have a disability but

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are in the bed and maybe in traction while
they're in the hospital or maybe even

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at hospice and at home. How can we even
begin to think about play when

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Like it just there's nothing playful about
the scenario that they're in.

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Yeah, absolutely. And I actually recently
had a family that I saw,

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a family I've been working with for a long
time,

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from palliative to now hospice.

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And I was having a hard time trying to get
so I go into their home

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to see this ~ little guy. And I was having
a hard time getting the

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mom to understand what I really could
provide playwise for him,

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because I really wanted to provide these
moments of

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choice for him for confidence and
expression and joy,

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just normal play joy. And I was having a
hard time with her trying

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to kind of explain how I can still do that
even though he can't get out of bed.

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Cause she was like, today he can't do it.

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Like he's in bed. And I'm like,

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I tagged on with like the nurse that was
going,

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I'm like, we're going, we're coming
together.

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And he was in

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Yeah.

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bed, but I brought like a little tabletop
tiny what is it called?

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~ cornhole. Like

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Yeah.

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Yeah, with little beanbags. Yep.

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The beanbag toss. Yeah.

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Little beanbags. Little

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tiny beanbags. And then I had a little
basketball hoop that I hung

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on like a doorknob or one of us just held
at one point with

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a little tiny basketball. We had
headbands,

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you know the game headbands, because he
loved that game.

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And I bought a new one.

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Mm-hmm.

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So it was all of these ways to adapt.

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So he could lay in the bed. I just
adjusted how close the cornhole was

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and he could do a little toss.

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And was he having a hard time at first?

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Sure.

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So we just moved it and adjusted the whole
time.

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We're cheering. It's fun. You're playing.

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He's smiling, and mom was taking pictures
of him playing.

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And I think that was her like,

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I

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Yeah.

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I can he can play while he's still in bed.

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He can still have fun. Cause we would play
headbands.

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I mean, I stood the whole time.

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I would just kind of squat down next to
him.

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00:11:22,891 --> 00:11:24,671
I'd get closer to him so he could see.

230
00:11:24,671 --> 00:11:26,292
I had a really hard time seeing and
reading.

231
00:11:26,292 --> 00:11:28,652
Can you see this one? Let me get it closer
to you.

232
00:11:28,652 --> 00:11:30,393
Do you want somebody to tell you what it
is?

233
00:11:30,898 --> 00:11:32,699
And then, you know, we can still play.

234
00:11:32,699 --> 00:11:36,782
So even if they're in traction or they
can't get out of bed,

235
00:11:36,782 --> 00:11:41,435
we bring it to their bed, we adapt all the
things around them so that they

236
00:11:41,435 --> 00:11:42,435
can still play.

237
00:11:42,619 --> 00:11:44,445
Mmm, my goodness, I love that.

238
00:11:44,445 --> 00:11:48,708
And it probably just made the mom so happy
to watch her child smile

239
00:11:48,708 --> 00:11:49,708
for a little bit.

240
00:11:50,065 --> 00:11:52,497
I think it did 'cause like after that
moment,

241
00:11:52,497 --> 00:11:56,190
it really was easier to just come in and
make those appointments to like,

242
00:11:56,190 --> 00:11:58,241
hey, can I come in and see? You know,

243
00:11:58,206 --> 00:11:59,206
Yeah.

244
00:11:58,241 --> 00:11:59,241
can we do

245
00:11:58,643 --> 00:12:00,745
some more playtime or cause then I would
just ask him,

246
00:12:00,745 --> 00:12:03,287
What do you want to do? Whatever he wanted
to do,

247
00:12:03,287 --> 00:12:05,439
I'm like, okay, we'll figure out how to do
that.

248
00:12:05,439 --> 00:12:08,461
The other one he wanted to do was a scaven
he loves scavenger hunts,

249
00:12:08,461 --> 00:12:09,461
but he can't, you

250
00:12:08,902 --> 00:12:09,902
Okay.

251
00:12:09,432 --> 00:12:14,086
know, walk anymore. And so he would tell
me where to hide and then he'd have

252
00:12:14,086 --> 00:12:16,879
his sister go find him. And there would be
like a little

253
00:12:17,001 --> 00:12:19,294
prize inside or I'd have a question or
something.

254
00:12:19,294 --> 00:12:22,708
And so again, it was just another way for
him to still participate and play

255
00:12:22,708 --> 00:12:26,683
and kind of be the it was a confidence
builder or like a booster for him

256
00:12:26,683 --> 00:12:29,776
to be still doing that for his little
sister,

257
00:12:29,776 --> 00:12:30,776
I think.

258
00:12:31,516 --> 00:12:32,972
and I'm sure she loved it too.

259
00:12:33,351 --> 00:12:34,351
Yeah, yeah,

260
00:12:34,083 --> 00:12:35,083
it was fun.

261
00:12:35,953 --> 00:12:40,579
~ what a good idea. Okay, I have another
kind of different play scenario

262
00:12:40,579 --> 00:12:41,920
I I would love your help with.

263
00:12:42,869 --> 00:12:43,869
~

264
00:12:43,349 --> 00:12:47,751
I think about this one a lot as like kind
of those cringe moments that

265
00:12:47,751 --> 00:12:51,173
I have done myself where I'm looking at a
census.

266
00:12:51,173 --> 00:12:55,575
~ so like the list of patients before I
walk into a room and

267
00:12:55,655 --> 00:12:57,516
say it says eight-year-old boy,

268
00:12:57,516 --> 00:13:00,157
but I don't know anything about this boy.

269
00:13:00,157 --> 00:13:06,390
And when I walk in, I realize that this
patient has some developmental
disabilities,

270
00:13:06,390 --> 00:13:09,652
and I feel just terrible that I brought in
something that's not

271
00:13:09,652 --> 00:13:12,683
at all appropriate for him. But we can
actually get

272
00:13:12,646 --> 00:13:13,646
creative

273
00:13:13,216 --> 00:13:16,338
and adapt, whatever it is that I do bring
in the room.

274
00:13:16,338 --> 00:13:19,060
And then I get to ask my favorite
question,

275
00:13:19,060 --> 00:13:21,982
which is like, tell me what makes your
child happy at home.

276
00:13:21,982 --> 00:13:24,744
And number one, I get to learn about the
patient.

277
00:13:24,744 --> 00:13:28,806
But number two, like parents are the ones
who know what their kids like the best.

278
00:13:28,806 --> 00:13:34,750
Do you have any ideas for playtime or
activities for patients who

279
00:13:34,750 --> 00:13:38,252
are in the hospital for a long time and
may have some global delays?

280
00:13:38,252 --> 00:13:39,623
What can they expect whether they're

281
00:13:41,607 --> 00:13:43,888
I think as and I do the same thing.

282
00:13:43,888 --> 00:13:46,538
I'm like, I bring a bag of stuff and I'm
like,

283
00:13:46,538 --> 00:13:48,279
yeah, none of this is gonna work.

284
00:13:48,279 --> 00:13:50,188
So let's talk to mom, let's talk to dad,

285
00:13:48,721 --> 00:13:50,118
Yeah. Yeah.

286
00:13:50,188 --> 00:13:52,790
who whatever family members let's find out
what they like,

287
00:13:52,790 --> 00:13:54,201
right? And something I

288
00:13:53,863 --> 00:13:54,863
Right.

289
00:13:54,201 --> 00:13:56,121
often tell parents when I'm talking to
them,

290
00:13:56,121 --> 00:13:59,852
~ whether it's they're getting ready for a
hospitalization or they're there,

291
00:13:59,852 --> 00:14:02,723
I'm like, you can talk to your child life
team.

292
00:14:02,723 --> 00:14:05,194
Like they have things there. First of all,

293
00:14:05,194 --> 00:14:08,935
if you're there's things your kid likes
and you know that even helps them feel

294
00:14:08,935 --> 00:14:10,105
comfortable, which

295
00:14:10,523 --> 00:14:13,574
if it's something playful, like that's
automatically gonna help them feel more

296
00:14:13,574 --> 00:14:16,056
comfortable if they have things that they
normally like to play with.

297
00:14:16,573 --> 00:14:17,573
Yeah.

298
00:14:16,996 --> 00:14:20,057
Ask your nurse to find a Charlie
specialist or get a consult

299
00:14:20,057 --> 00:14:24,649
or something because childlife team
departments often have sound machines

300
00:14:24,649 --> 00:14:26,270
or they might have the right kind of toys,

301
00:14:26,270 --> 00:14:32,833
the exact toy that your kid has at home or
~ the right movie or game

302
00:14:32,833 --> 00:14:36,435
or like whatever that they're usually like
to play they usually like to play with.

303
00:14:36,743 --> 00:14:38,714
So I always say just resource-wise,

304
00:14:38,714 --> 00:14:40,995
reach out to the childlife team and see
what they have.

305
00:14:40,995 --> 00:14:43,857
Even like mats, you know, the mats that
you can just put on the floor and play
with.

306
00:14:43,207 --> 00:14:45,712
Yeah, playmats, yeah. Yeah.

307
00:14:43,857 --> 00:14:45,678
If a kid is younger, like

308
00:14:45,858 --> 00:14:47,179
I've talked to several families,

309
00:14:47,179 --> 00:14:48,206
I didn't know we could get those.

310
00:14:48,206 --> 00:14:50,051
I'm like, well, sometimes you can.

311
00:14:50,051 --> 00:14:52,022
Like sometimes I would have to go on a
wild goose chase,

312
00:14:52,022 --> 00:14:53,803
but I would find them. And we could

313
00:14:53,341 --> 00:14:54,341
Right.

314
00:14:53,803 --> 00:14:57,355
create a whole play space on the floor
that's safe and comfortable,

315
00:14:57,355 --> 00:14:59,546
especially if it's a kid who can't leave
their room.

316
00:14:59,546 --> 00:15:04,019
Then you're just giving them a little bit
more space to create that play area

317
00:15:04,019 --> 00:15:05,019
for them.

318
00:15:06,019 --> 00:15:09,373
~ such a good idea. And what about like in
cribs?

319
00:15:09,373 --> 00:15:11,356
Is there something that they can ask for?

320
00:15:12,756 --> 00:15:18,317
For in their cribs. I always I feel like
everybody probably would do this already,

321
00:15:18,317 --> 00:15:21,848
but I mean, there was times we would
string up,

322
00:15:21,848 --> 00:15:24,469
we would rig up anything across the bed.

323
00:15:24,469 --> 00:15:27,930
Like if they had like little gems that
they would play with,

324
00:15:27,930 --> 00:15:29,870
maybe it's not how it's intended,

325
00:15:29,870 --> 00:15:33,951
but we can take it apart and maybe just
use the bendy part and put that on the
crib.

326
00:15:33,951 --> 00:15:35,541
And what are the things your kid really
likes?

327
00:15:35,541 --> 00:15:39,122
Do they really like a certain object or
toy or character?

328
00:15:39,122 --> 00:15:42,093
Let's find those things and maybe we hang
those on there instead.

329
00:15:42,641 --> 00:15:46,924
to play with or you know, like the light ~
star things you can put on

330
00:15:46,924 --> 00:15:50,106
the ceiling or something like that that
you can have nearby if they're

331
00:15:50,266 --> 00:15:53,581
if they have to be in a in a crib or is
there s

332
00:15:53,191 --> 00:15:54,191
Yeah.

333
00:15:53,708 --> 00:15:54,949
like is that what you're talking about?

334
00:15:55,144 --> 00:15:57,367
Yeah, I think so. For sure. I just I mean,

335
00:15:57,367 --> 00:16:00,892
I'm very curious because we've never like
worked together in a hospital before,

336
00:16:00,892 --> 00:16:03,516
so I don't know what your tricks are and I
want to learn all of them.

337
00:16:01,201 --> 00:16:06,974
Yeah. ~ yeah. No, I feel like we would
always kind of rig up everything on the
crib,

338
00:16:06,974 --> 00:16:09,285
like whatever the kid liked, and then we
would change them every so often.

339
00:16:09,285 --> 00:16:10,616
I'm like, well, this is getting boring.

340
00:16:10,616 --> 00:16:13,427
Like I'm tired of seeing it. They're
probably tired of seeing it

341
00:16:10,951 --> 00:16:13,357
Yeah. ~

342
00:16:13,427 --> 00:16:16,379
too. So like, okay, we need to add
something with lights

343
00:16:15,603 --> 00:16:16,603
Yeah.

344
00:16:16,379 --> 00:16:19,030
and sounds and music. Like if that's what
they're into,

345
00:16:19,030 --> 00:16:22,031
let's change it up and you know.

346
00:16:22,031 --> 00:16:23,472
I was a big fan

347
00:16:22,844 --> 00:16:23,844
Yeah.

348
00:16:23,472 --> 00:16:25,093
of also using window markers.

349
00:16:25,597 --> 00:16:27,837
Same. Yeah.

350
00:16:26,001 --> 00:16:27,893
in my hospital rooms or paints on

351
00:16:27,893 --> 00:16:31,316
the you know, on the windows. My EVS team
did not enjoy that,

352
00:16:31,316 --> 00:16:34,249
but I it you know, it's an extra

353
00:16:33,672 --> 00:16:34,672
Yeah.

354
00:16:34,249 --> 00:16:38,003
plaything, it's creative, it especially
for those kids who were there a long time.

355
00:16:38,343 --> 00:16:42,178
Yeah, for sure. And parents, feel free to
grab that stuff too and decorate

356
00:16:42,178 --> 00:16:44,931
the door yourself and like get involved.

357
00:16:44,931 --> 00:16:46,783
And yeah, I think it's really fun.

358
00:16:45,629 --> 00:16:48,400
Yeah. Yeah. I always love

359
00:16:48,400 --> 00:16:50,361
to, this isn't really along the lines of
play,

360
00:16:50,361 --> 00:16:53,172
but it sort of is. Like an all about about
me sign.

361
00:16:53,353 --> 00:16:54,353
Yeah.

362
00:16:53,692 --> 00:16:56,874
Like I talk to my hope for HIE families
about that a lot.

363
00:16:56,874 --> 00:16:59,795
Not only like just like the coping
strategies that help my child,

364
00:16:59,795 --> 00:17:02,827
but the things they like, the things that
they don't like,

365
00:17:02,827 --> 00:17:06,578
too many people in the room, like all of
those kinds of things I think also

366
00:17:06,578 --> 00:17:09,720
are helpful. Like I always like that as a
staff member in the hospital,

367
00:17:09,720 --> 00:17:12,661
knowing kind of upfront what the

368
00:17:12,913 --> 00:17:16,119
child liked or what helped them or what
didn't or just what their interests were

369
00:17:16,320 --> 00:17:18,644
and then sharing that with the rest of the
team before,

370
00:17:18,644 --> 00:17:20,187
you know, somebody went in the room.

371
00:17:20,187 --> 00:17:23,323
So I think having that visible in the room
is always a helpful,

372
00:17:23,323 --> 00:17:25,587
helpful tool too.

373
00:17:24,522 --> 00:17:26,062
For sure. Yeah.

374
00:17:26,183 --> 00:17:31,506
And parents don't count out a childlife
stop by or drop

375
00:17:31,506 --> 00:17:35,478
by if your child has developmental delays
and you're like,

376
00:17:35,478 --> 00:17:37,529
they're they can't play with traditional
stuff.

377
00:17:37,529 --> 00:17:41,551
I think you'd be surprised about what you
and your childlife specialist could come

378
00:17:41,551 --> 00:17:44,032
up with that could transform the room.

379
00:17:44,032 --> 00:17:45,153
And

380
00:17:44,797 --> 00:17:45,797
Yeah.

381
00:17:45,765 --> 00:17:46,765
Annie,

382
00:17:46,045 --> 00:17:52,070
can you talk a little bit about why play
is so important even when you can't move,

383
00:17:52,070 --> 00:17:54,792
even when you are very sick in a hospital,

384
00:17:54,792 --> 00:17:57,594
maybe you're not playing like you normally
do,

385
00:17:57,594 --> 00:18:01,837
but why is that so important when you're
kind of going through a medical
experience?

386
00:18:03,891 --> 00:18:08,402
So many things. I feel like I could play
as the kids' language.

387
00:18:08,402 --> 00:18:10,903
That's everything to them. That's how they
learn,

388
00:18:10,903 --> 00:18:13,034
right? We know this. This is how they
process,

389
00:18:13,034 --> 00:18:14,624
how they experience their world.

390
00:18:14,624 --> 00:18:16,605
It's how they understand everything.

391
00:18:16,605 --> 00:18:21,347
Like they they truly do need it just to
understand the world around them.

392
00:18:21,347 --> 00:18:25,078
And they shouldn't have to stop that just
because they're in a hospital.

393
00:18:25,078 --> 00:18:28,829
In fact, they should do it more because
especially for children who have any

394
00:18:29,041 --> 00:18:30,832
medical complexities or medical,

395
00:18:30,832 --> 00:18:33,762
you know, or a lot of hospitalizations or
therapies and things like that,

396
00:18:33,762 --> 00:18:38,214
they're often being told most of the time
what they have to do in that therapy,

397
00:18:38,214 --> 00:18:39,614
what they have to do in the doctor's
office.

398
00:18:39,614 --> 00:18:43,855
So play is really that time for them to
just explore on their own,

399
00:18:43,855 --> 00:18:49,981
be creative on their own, to lead their
time and just do what they want to do.

400
00:18:49,981 --> 00:18:50,981
And that's

401
00:18:50,225 --> 00:18:51,225
Yeah.

402
00:18:50,687 --> 00:18:52,688
really important for them to be able to do
that.

403
00:18:52,688 --> 00:18:56,108
And then I think as far as the medical
component of it,

404
00:18:56,108 --> 00:18:57,929
I love medical play.

405
00:18:58,149 --> 00:19:01,020
Absolutely love it. ~ there's different
ways you can do it,

406
00:19:01,020 --> 00:19:04,062
whether it's real medical supplies or the
pretend medical supplies,

407
00:19:04,062 --> 00:19:09,204
of course, but it just gives kids the
opportunity to play through those
experiences

408
00:19:09,204 --> 00:19:14,436
that they've had. They need to re go
through those experiences,

409
00:19:14,436 --> 00:19:19,079
you know, however, whatever, what whether
it was a test or a doctor's appointment,

410
00:19:19,079 --> 00:19:21,420
they're just playing through that to try
and understand it,

411
00:19:21,420 --> 00:19:22,521
gain mastery of it.

412
00:19:22,979 --> 00:19:27,135
~ understand it and really just process
their feelings and express their feelings

413
00:19:27,135 --> 00:19:28,135
too at the same time.

414
00:19:28,616 --> 00:19:31,767
Yeah. There's one thing you said about
therapy,

415
00:19:31,767 --> 00:19:35,328
and one thing that parents don't know a
lot is childlife specialists

416
00:19:35,328 --> 00:19:39,729
can come co-treat a lot of times with PT,

417
00:19:39,729 --> 00:19:45,391
with occupational therapy. And so
childlife can work alongside that team.

418
00:19:45,391 --> 00:19:47,931
If therapy is particularly stressful,

419
00:19:47,931 --> 00:19:50,622
we can be there to offer distractions,

420
00:19:50,622 --> 00:19:53,133
support, reprieve, but then also.

421
00:19:53,585 --> 00:19:56,628
Your physical therapists and your
occupational therapists are usually

422
00:19:56,628 --> 00:19:58,869
a wealth of information when it comes to
play.

423
00:19:58,869 --> 00:20:04,024
Now they do have ~ goals that they have to
achieve or milestones that we need

424
00:20:04,024 --> 00:20:08,147
to get done, ~ that they need to get done
during that like therapeutic play

425
00:20:08,147 --> 00:20:11,250
interaction. But ~ at child life we don't.

426
00:20:11,250 --> 00:20:12,831
We're like if we don't want to play that
anymore,

427
00:20:12,831 --> 00:20:16,514
we can just stop. So that's a fun choice
that the that the child can make.

428
00:20:16,514 --> 00:20:20,137
And it it makes it easier on childlife
specialists because we can go with

429
00:20:20,137 --> 00:20:21,889
the flow a lot of times, but

430
00:20:21,405 --> 00:20:22,405
Yeah. Which

431
00:20:22,146 --> 00:20:23,637
is really part of what we do, right?

432
00:20:23,637 --> 00:20:26,600
Like we take the kids lead, like we wanna

433
00:20:26,227 --> 00:20:27,227
Yeah.

434
00:20:26,600 --> 00:20:28,712
like unless it's very specific,

435
00:20:28,712 --> 00:20:31,564
okay, we're specifically teaching them
about this test.

436
00:20:31,564 --> 00:20:32,715
We need to kind of get through it,

437
00:20:32,715 --> 00:20:33,917
make sure they understand. But otherwise,

438
00:20:33,917 --> 00:20:35,758
like we really follow their lead.

439
00:20:34,033 --> 00:20:36,391
Yeah. Yeah.

440
00:20:35,758 --> 00:20:36,758
So we do

441
00:20:36,499 --> 00:20:38,581
have that nice advantage.

442
00:20:39,057 --> 00:20:42,959
I feel like when I'm on social media
lately and I see a really fun,

443
00:20:42,959 --> 00:20:47,739
~ like a child in a hallway of a hospital
playing a game,

444
00:20:47,739 --> 00:20:49,421
I can like look around and I see,

445
00:20:49,421 --> 00:20:52,342
okay, there's mom or dad, there's a nurse,

446
00:20:52,342 --> 00:20:54,877
there's child life, there's P T O T.

447
00:20:54,877 --> 00:20:58,795
There's so many people out there who live
in these walls every single

448
00:20:58,795 --> 00:21:01,666
day that can help you come up with
creative ways to stay.

449
00:21:01,666 --> 00:21:04,557
I know a hospital nobody wants to be
there,

450
00:21:04,557 --> 00:21:06,948
but there are ways to make it a little bit
more friendly,

451
00:21:06,948 --> 00:21:08,469
a little bit easier to digest.

452
00:21:09,157 --> 00:21:12,633
And whenever you have a sibling coming to
visit the hospital,

453
00:21:12,633 --> 00:21:17,431
it's the perfect opportunity to call child
life in and help facilitate either

454
00:21:17,431 --> 00:21:20,837
an activity or drop things off so that the
sibling can play as well.

455
00:21:21,694 --> 00:21:24,975
Yes, absolutely. I yeah, couldn't agree
more.

456
00:21:24,975 --> 00:21:30,127
And like I said, with the helping to find
other activities or supplies that like

457
00:21:30,127 --> 00:21:31,777
a family might need that they have at
home,

458
00:21:31,777 --> 00:21:35,518
like really thinking about kids with
different developmental needs,

459
00:21:35,518 --> 00:21:38,849
often their supplies and things they're
using are from like their PT

460
00:21:38,849 --> 00:21:40,400
and their OT that they have at home.

461
00:21:40,400 --> 00:21:43,000
So if they need those same types of
supplies or like,

462
00:21:43,000 --> 00:21:44,781
~ we they usually sit like this.

463
00:21:45,351 --> 00:21:48,202
That would be me then contacting PT or T
and be like,

464
00:21:48,202 --> 00:21:50,242
Hey, I have this kid and this is what he
usually uses.

465
00:21:50,242 --> 00:21:52,474
Do you have a recommendation? So

466
00:21:52,007 --> 00:21:53,007
Yeah.

467
00:21:52,474 --> 00:21:56,076
really then I'm kind of almost in between
helping that family get what they need

468
00:21:56,076 --> 00:21:58,007
to so their child feels the most
comfortable,

469
00:21:58,007 --> 00:22:02,779
but really like r relying on like PT and O
T to ~ help facilitate that as well.

470
00:22:03,143 --> 00:22:06,254
Yeah, yeah. I think child life can step in
that way so much.

471
00:22:06,254 --> 00:22:08,144
Our job is not just being there in the
moment,

472
00:22:08,144 --> 00:22:13,116
playing or dropping off toys or supporting
during procedures or educating.

473
00:22:13,116 --> 00:22:14,986
We're often the people saying,

474
00:22:14,986 --> 00:22:18,717
Okay, let me make the phone call to P T O
T or Let me go down to the lab.

475
00:22:18,717 --> 00:22:21,938
I think I remember seeing a high chair
stuck there for some reason,

476
00:22:21,587 --> 00:22:22,587
Totally.

477
00:22:21,938 --> 00:22:22,938
or

478
00:22:22,438 --> 00:22:26,670
like we happen to have this like map
inside our head of the whole hospital
where

479
00:22:26,670 --> 00:22:28,700
we can find things and like, I think

480
00:22:27,015 --> 00:22:28,603
Yeah. ~ yeah.

481
00:22:28,700 --> 00:22:31,171
we just got a donation that would be
perfect for this.

482
00:22:31,015 --> 00:22:32,015
Yep,

483
00:22:31,171 --> 00:22:32,171
So

484
00:22:31,686 --> 00:22:34,148
definitely. Yeah, well I remember being in
the storage closet.

485
00:22:34,148 --> 00:22:35,449
I saw or even in the

486
00:22:34,534 --> 00:22:35,534
Yeah.

487
00:22:35,449 --> 00:22:36,810
E D I would run up. I'm like, Wait,

488
00:22:36,810 --> 00:22:40,043
I know where such and such chairs that
would help this kid who had to be

489
00:22:40,043 --> 00:22:42,225
in the E baby for like six hours.

490
00:22:42,225 --> 00:22:44,257
I'm like, I'll be gone a little while,

491
00:22:44,257 --> 00:22:45,999
but I will be back with this chair.

492
00:22:44,551 --> 00:22:47,542
Yeah. I will be back.

493
00:22:48,683 --> 00:22:53,685
Amazing. Well, thank you so much for just
kind of offering these ideas

494
00:22:53,965 --> 00:22:56,467
and the really important reminder,

495
00:22:56,467 --> 00:22:58,398
which is play doesn't have to look the
same.

496
00:22:58,398 --> 00:23:03,290
And but there is space for that grief that
comes knowing that your child won't play

497
00:23:03,290 --> 00:23:05,081
in the way that maybe your other kids do.

498
00:23:05,081 --> 00:23:06,941
That can be really hard and difficult.

499
00:23:06,941 --> 00:23:09,783
So ~ but I really appreciate your time
today,

500
00:23:09,783 --> 00:23:10,783
Annie.

501
00:23:10,653 --> 00:23:12,240
Yeah, of course. Thanks for having me.

502
00:23:13,292 --> 00:23:16,134
Before you go, if this story taught you
something,

503
00:23:16,134 --> 00:23:20,325
made you feel less alone, or helped you
better understand what families experience

504
00:23:20,325 --> 00:23:24,047
in pediatric healthcare, would you help us
by passing it forward?

505
00:23:24,047 --> 00:23:28,010
Podcasts like this grow because people
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506
00:23:28,010 --> 00:23:31,152
Send an episode to a friend, a neighbor,

507
00:23:31,152 --> 00:23:34,625
another parent, or share it with a
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508
00:23:34,625 --> 00:23:36,496
you think someone might need to hear it.

509
00:23:36,627 --> 00:23:39,619
And if you haven't already, follow the
show and leave us a review.

510
00:23:40,056 --> 00:23:43,058
it helps more families find these stories
and learn from the parents

511
00:23:43,058 --> 00:23:44,459
who have walked this path before.

512
00:23:44,580 --> 00:23:47,245
Thank you so much for listening to Inside
the Children's Hospital.

513
00:23:47,245 --> 00:23:48,398
We'll see you next time.