Child Development Episodes

"What we can do as parents and professionals is look past the behavior." Helping Hands: Resources for Parents Supporting Siblings in Healthcare Situations I remember the first time I saw the impact of a sibling's illness on a family. It was heart-wrenching to watch as the older sibling hesitantly chose a toy to play with in the hospital playroom. As a Child Life On Call specialist, I've learned valuable strategies to support siblings in healthcare situations. But what surprised me was the posi...

So happy to share this "child life insight" with parents and professionals, but first let's answer the question: What are child life specialists? Child life specialists are trained professionals who provide emotional support and guidance to children and families facing challenging life experiences. They are experts in helping children cope with difficult topics and ensure that children's development is as smooth as possible while going through challenging times. In this episode, we talk about h...

On today's episode of the podcast, Katie interviews Rylee Neal who decided to become a Child Life Specialist from her past experiences being hospitalized with a heart condition called tetralogy of fallot. An experience with a Child Life Specialist during one of her hospital stays lead her to pursue the field of Child Life. Katie and Rylee have some great conversation about scars, our feelings and how as Child Life Specialists or parents we constantly are looking to better ourselves. You will lea...

Katie along with co-host Mijha from Jambo books interview Dr. Kate Lund, TedEx speaker, clinical psychologist and hydrocephalus warrior. She brings an incredibly important perspective as provider, patient and parent. Dr. Lund shares with us how the support she received throughout her childhood had a positive impact on her life and journey with hydrocephalus. From her wise words and experiences, you will leave this episode feeling empowered with actionable things you can do today. This message is...

[Child Life 101] How to Support Kids in Pain As a child life specialist, I know that pain can significantly impact children. It can affect them physically, emotionally, socially, and cognitively. Research has shown that uncontrolled pain can lead to long-term effects such as stress, anxiety, and depression, as well as changes in brain function and delayed recovery. Helping children cope with pain can be particularly challenging as they may not be able to articulate what they're feeling or under...

Katie and Cortney Given, host of the Mindset for Medical Moms Podcast, interview Leah Ward about her son Jackson and his journey with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS.) Leah shares the ups and downs of being a heart mom. Jackson received the gift of life through a Heart Transplant after he went into heart failure and was placed on the Berlin Heart for several months. Leah and Cortney's conversation (Cortney is a heart Mom too!) with Katie will leave you feeling inspired to live in each mome...

On today's episode, Katie meets with Kristen McNeely, a Licensed family therapist who is in expert on Anxiety in Children. Kristen shares the importance of how we respond to anxiety as parents and caregivers, helping children understand what anxiety is and how we can help them navigate their feelings. This episode is full of ways to support your child through anxious moments and knowing when to get them help. [4:12] Kristen introduces herself [5:45] Seeing more behavior disorders that are mani...

podcast, Katie interviews Crystal Polk, a Social Worker and Licensed Therapist speaks about the dual role parents of medically complex children hold as caregiver and parent. Crystal specializes in working with families who have children with special or medical needs. She gives parents practical things they can do today to start on the path of healing. [3:30] Crystal introduces herself [6:00] Identifying the differences between caregiving and parenting [8:30] Acknowledging the stages of grief ...

On this week's episode of the podcast, Katie interviews Michele Benyo, a Certified Grief Specialist who helps families navigate the loss of a child with a focus on sibling relationships. Michele experienced the loss of her 6 year old son due to cancer. Michele shares how her daughter still maintained her relationship with her son in the midst of several long hospitalizations and how she processed the loss of her brother. *trigger warning-- this episode talks about loss and grief * [4:15] Michel...

On this episode of the podcast, Lenora from BetterSpeech shares about virtual speech language pathology services and how they can be beneficial for not just the child but for the family. Lenora explains how making a connection with the child positively impacts the progress of speech therapy. This episode is informative of what a virtual session would look like and provides valuable insight to parents seeking out virtual therapy services. [2:50] Lenora introudces herself [3:59] How she got star...

Katy shares about her daughter Charlotte and how her surgeries that left scars inspired her to write a book about seeing scars in a positive way. Finding out about her daughter's diagnosis at 32 weeks on a Thursday morning and then welcoming Charlotte that Friday evening, talk about a whirlwind! Katy shares so many truths that will resonate with parents and how Charlotte has changed her life forever. [5:00] Katy introduces herself [6:23] Deciding what to share and not share [8:44] Finding you...

On today's episode of the podcast we will hear from Kirsten Black, a Certified Child Life Specialist, who had the opportunity to visit children's hospitals in Sweden. Kirsten shares her perspective on the major differences in pediatric healthcare, what she learned along the way and how it has influenced her as a Child Life Specialist. She shares her unconventional yet beautiful journey to the field of Child Life. [4:00] Introducing herself [7:15] Pivoting after the economy crashed [8:30] A see...

"I really feel like I'm paying forward with everything that I lived and everything I've experienced as a professional. My program is my heart in a basket for them."- Dr. Michelle Hu, Audiologist Dr. Michelle Hu shares how she was diagnosed as hard of hearing as a young child and what lead her to become an audiologist. This episode is packed full of wisdom. [3:12] Michelle's teacher encourages her mom to get her hearing checked [3:49] Getting hearing aids after a mild hearing loss diagnosis [4:44...

"Never listen when they tell you your child will not, encourage them to do the best they can do"- Belinda Hammond, CCLS Belinda shares her son's journey with low tone, epilepsy and autism and how her professional and personal experiences collided, giving her an invaluable perspective as a parent and professional. This episode is in our top 5 most downloaded episodes to date. [4:39] Belinda notices her son is not meeting some major developmental milestones [5:17] Receiving a low tone diagnosis ...

In this episode, we will hear from Laura about navigating hospital life and finding the balance between caring for her family and taking care of herself. She focuses on the importance of self care and how it has made her be the best version of herself. Laura shares how life after the hospital doesn't have this glamorous feeling but is another marathon in itself. In this episode, she speaks on the positive takeaways from this journey. This episode is full of nuggets of wisdom that you will not wa...

On today's episode of the podcast, we will hear from Ryan Judd, Music Therapist and creator of Cool Koala. In this episode, Ryan places an emphasis on helping our children develop gratitude, compassion and learning how to cope with our worries. He shares how music helps children feel relaxed and how having the practice of guided meditation can carry into creating healthy habits for children as they move through the different stages of life and into adulthood. Ryan shares vital information on how...

Today we have a guest co-host AND a guest! Our guest co-host is Sehreen Noorali, and you may remember her from Episode 112 of the podcast. Her younger daughter has some medical needs and has been through neurosurgery. Like Sehreen, our guest Michelle has also spent her fair share of time in the rehab setting. Her son, Gideon, was born with heart defects that required hospitalization. In this episode, we talk about… [6:25] Michelle's family [8:08] Discovering low oxygen levels in a newborn [11:24...

Today I am introducing you to Dr. Jin Lee, a licensed clinical psychologist with experience working in hospitals. She now has her own private practice, and she specializes with teens who have functional neurological or post-concussion disorders. You will hear some great information and feedback from Dr. Lee about how to support teens through chronic pain. In this episode, we talk about… [1:54] Dr. Jin Lee's background [2:51] Working with children and teens with chronic illness [5:57] How Dr. Lee...

Here we are in the last week of February, which is heart month, and I am so honored to bring you Melissa's story. We have discussed other heart defects before, such as tetralogy of fallot and hypoplastic left heart syndrome. This is the first time we are talking about transposition of the great arteries, or TGA. TGA is diagnosed in utero and requires surgery within days. I know Melissa's story will bring so much value, comfort, and validation to other parents. In this episode, we talk about… [1:...

Julie May has been a child life specialist for almost 20 years. She is here today to talk with us about how to talk to and support kids who have an adult in their lives who has an illness. Julie talks about what Wonders and Worries does, and what is accessible for families today. You can get support anywhere in the United States completely for free! You won't want to miss this episode, because Julie also shares how to read cues based on a child's development, how to know if you have taken the co...

Today's guest, Elizabeth, had never heard of PANDAS (Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infection) when her son was diagnosed with it. PANDAS is a tough diagnosis, because some doctors believe in it while others do not. Having a child with this diagnosis that only some doctors believe in is incredibly hard to navigate, to say the least. PANDAS is an autoimmune disease closely related to infections, so you will hear Elizabeth talk a bit about how her son...

Today's 12 minute talk became a 20+ minute talk, and Cara Smith and I discussed how parents can connect with their children after a disaster. Cara is an amazing pioneer in the child life field, and she has valuable tips both for child life specialists as well as for parents in the wake of a natural disaster, a pandemic, or any other stressful event. In this episode, we talk about… [1:41] Cara's background [4:18] Burnout as a child life specialist [6:44] Cara's experience working with children in...

Today's guest is Maureen, and she found out at her 20 week ultrasound that her daughter had clubfoot. She shares what families have to endure when confronted with a child with clubfoot. You'll hear about B and B (boots and bar), serial casting, surgeries, doctors' visits, and the amount of parent intervention that has to take place in the first four to five years of these kids' lives. In this episode, we talk about… [2:07] Maureen's family and background [4:53] Getting a clubfoot diagnosis in ut...

For today's 12 minute talk, I'm speaking with Kat Harrison. At the end of 2021, I shared Kat's episode (episode 99) in which she talked about what it was like being a teenager with chronic illness. During that episode, we touched on what helped her the most when she was a teenager in the hospital and how to support adolescents coping with different medical or mental challenges. I'm so excited to share this talk with you today so you can be more prepared when you're talking to your own teenager o...