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What path did you take to become a Child Life Specialist?

I'm currently a high school senior prepping to enter college, pursuing a degree in developmental psychology. I've always loved helping people and would love to learn more about this field!

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fall25 child-psychology
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Suzanne’s Answer

I am not a child life specialist but I see that your question remains unanswered so I will try to share what I know and have been able to find out. As a family physician who sometimes cared for children in pediatric wards of the hospital, it was great to have a child life specialist available. As you probably know, they play an important role in caring for the psychosocial/emotional and sometimes, educational, needs of hospitalized kids and their siblings. I would think that your major of developmental psychology would be an excellent background to have for this profession. Other majors people might pursue for this career could be child life studies, child development, child and family studies, psychology or early childhood education.

The Association of Child Life Professionals (ACLP) is the organization which certifies Child Life Specialists and you will want to check on their educational requirements to become a CCLS (Certified Child Life Specialist). I believe typically people have previous experience working with children in some other capacity and have completed a 600-hour child life specialist internship.

I would encourage you to talk to your academic advisor early and often to be sure you are taking the correct classes and having internship experiences relevant to your goals. If you can shadow with a CCLS at your local hospital or another healthcare setting that would be very helpful. Good luck!

Suzanne recommends the following next steps:

A helpful website from Mayo: https://college.mayo.edu/academics/explore-health-care-careers/careers-a-z/child-life-specialist/
Website for the certifying organization: https://www.childlife.org
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Gary’s Answer

Hi, a great way to learn about a job is to talk to someone currently doing it. You can start by speaking with your school counselor or visiting a local college to meet teachers. This not only helps you explore schools but also gives you valuable insights.

The study focus includes child development and family studies. To become a Certified Child Life Specialist (CCLS), you need a bachelor's degree with specific courses approved by the Association of Child Life Professionals (ACLP), 600 hours of supervised clinical internship, and passing a certification exam.

I once used LinkedIn to connect with professionals in this field. It allowed me to ask questions and have open discussions about their career paths.

Good luck with your research!
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