As Generation Z becomes the predominant demographic for child life learners, preceptors will benefit from examining their teaching methodologies to help ensure this newest generation of professionals can forge sustainable careers that reflect the values of the profession. In this presentation, participants will examine the impacts of cultural trends and the possibility of creating mutually beneficial, cross-generational learning relationships. Dynamic and interactive technology-based education will be used to engage participants throughout this presentation.

Suggested Domain: Professional Responsibility
1.5 PDU

Learning Objective(s): 

- Participants will be able to identify the unique educational needs and values of Generation Z interns.

- Participants will be able to reflect on current precepting practices and consider changes to educational pedagogy.

- Participants will be able to demonstrate an understanding of the benefits of intergenerational educational relationships.

Please note: All webinar contents and its certificate will expire on 3/4/2027 regardless of when it is purchased, accessed, or completed. At that point, contents will no longer be available in any form, including as an archive or as a PDU certificate. It is the responsibility of the learner to complete the contents and download and save the certificate for their records prior to 3/4/2027.

The field of child life is highly competitive and demands a range of adaptable skills to support diverse clients. In this article, the authors will present research highlighting the prevalence of perfectionism and impostorism among child life students and specialists, and how these factors can impact clinical training, professional practice, and personal well-being. The authors will also discuss recommendations and implications to address these concerns for individuals, child life teams, and the child life field as a whole.

Suggested Domain: Professional Responsibility

1.5 PDU

Learning Objective(s):

- Describe the prevalence and impact of perfectionism and imposterism among child life students and professionals.

- Discuss the implications of perfectionism and imposterism in promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in the child life field.

- Identify strategies to overcome negative patterns related to perfectionism and imposterism to better support students, promote individual well-being, and improve team dynamics.

- Reflect on your own experiences related to perfectionism and imposterism and their role in well-being.

- Engage in conversation with colleagues about strategies to promote their own and each other’s well-being and foster a supportive child life team culture.

Please note: All webinar contents and its certificate will expire on 3/5/2027 regardless of when it is purchased, accessed, or completed. At that point, contents will no longer be available in any form, including as an archive or as a PDU certificate. It is the responsibility of the learner to complete the contents and download and save the certificate for their records prior to 3/5/2027.

Thank you to our generous webinar sponsor, University of Wisconsin-Madison Continuing Studies

Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have various sensory needs, and being in a hospital can cause overstimulation. When a child with ASD enters a hospital due to a burn injury, it can lead to even more challenges as they may be sensitive to the stimuli, making wound care and rehabilitation a stressful experience. This presentation will outline the distinctive needs of burn survivors with ASD, including a clear explanation of what ASD is, the common stressors that children with ASD experience when entering a hospital, stressors that a burn unit may add, and interventions on how to provide appropriate support to these patients.

Suggested Domain: Intervention
1.0 PDU

Learning Objective(s):

- By the end of this presentation, participants will be able to understand and support the unique needs of ASD children in the burn healthcare setting.

- By the end of this presentation, participants will be able to identify and understand common stressors that arise when children with ASD enter the hospital after a burn injury.

- By the end of this presentation, participants will obtain at least 3 interventions to support children with ASD who have a burn injury in the hospital.

Please note: All webinar contents and its certificate will expire on 4/24/2027 regardless of when it is purchased, accessed, or completed. At that point, contents will no longer be available in any form, including as an archive or as a PDU certificate. It is the responsibility of the learner to complete the contents and download and save the certificate for their records prior to 4/24/2027.

Mental health and trauma concerns among pediatric patients presenting at emergency departments (EDs) have become increasingly prevalent, demanding innovative approaches to optimize medical and psychosocial care delivery. This presentation explores current approaches to caring for this population, emphasizing the demonstrated effectiveness of a collaborative care model to support pediatric behavioral health and trauma patients in the ED. In this context, the integration of child life specialists has shown promising results in improving patient outcomes and overall quality of care. Child life specialists play a crucial role in helping children and families cope with the stress and anxiety of being in the ED, providing age-appropriate explanations about medical procedures, and offering therapeutic interventions to support emotional well-being. Additionally, the speakers will highlight opportunities for program quality improvement in existing child life practice models that can further enhance the care provided to pediatric patients in the emergency department.

Suggested Domain: Intervention
1.0 PDU

Learning Objective(s):

- Understanding the Collaborative Care Model: Learners should be able to comprehend the key principles and components of the collaborative care model for pediatric mental health and trauma care in emergency departments.

- Evaluating the Efficacy of the Collaborative Care Model: Learners should be able to assess the effectiveness of and outcomes associated with the collaborative care approach in enhancing pediatric mental health and trauma care.

- Identifying Areas for Improvement: Learners should be able to identify specific areas for improvement within the collaborative care model or the existing practices in emergency departments for supporting this population.

- Recognizing Strategies for Optimal Pediatric Care: Learners should be able to recognize, evaluate, and begin to implement e potential strategies and recommendations derived from the collaborative care model.

Please note: All webinar contents and its certificate will expire on 5/8/2027 regardless of when it is purchased, accessed, or completed. At that point, contents will no longer be available in any form, including as an archive or as a PDU certificate. It is the responsibility of the learner to complete the contents and download and save the certificate for their records prior to 5/8/2027.

The upcoming webinar presentation will discuss an exploratory cross-sectional research design that focuses on the psychological and psychosocial well-being benefits of Certified Child Life Specialists (CCLS) who serve as animal handlers in a pediatric hospital. The study involved 6 CCLS from a single pediatric hospital, who answered a 38-question survey created by the researcher and faculty supervisor. The research findings highlight both the benefits and drawbacks of Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT) and examine the impact of AAT on the psychological and psychosocial well-being of CCLS.

Suggested Domain: Assessment
1.0 PDU

Learning Objective(s):

- Participants will be able to describe the impact of AAT on CCLS psychosocial and psychological well-being.

- Participants will be able to identify the benefits and drawbacks of utilizing AAT in a child life department.

- Participants will be able to apply the results of the study to their local hospital of AAT handlers that are also CCLS to better understand the impact on CCLS handler’s well-being.

Please note: All webinar contents and its certificate will expire on 5/15/2027 regardless of when it is purchased, accessed, or completed. At that point, contents will no longer be available in any form, including as an archive or as a PDU certificate. It is the responsibility of the learner to complete the contents and download and save the certificate for their records prior to 5/15/2027.

This webinar aims to educate participants about the increasing demand for child life specialists in outpatient settings. This session will focus on building rapport with clinic staff and patients, prioritizing patient needs, and addressing the challenges of managing various clinic requirements. Attendees will also receive valuable resources and information that they can apply to their outpatient programs.

Suggested Domain: Professional Responsibility, Intervention
1.0 PDU

Learning Objective(s):

- By the end of this presentation, participants will be able to understand the rapid growth of medically complex patients in the outpatient setting.

- By the end of this presentation, participants will be well-versed in building quick and sustainable rapport with patients and their families.

- By the end of this presentation, participants will be able to extend their child's life reach through facilitating support groups for chronic patients in clinics.

- By the end of this presentation, participants will be able to add outpatient-specific tangible resources and items to their programs.

- By the end of this presentation, participants will be able to understand how to navigate concerns with expansion related to outpatient growth.

Please note: All webinar contents and its certificate will expire on 6/5/2027 regardless of when it is purchased, accessed, or completed. At that point, contents will no longer be available in any form, including as an archive or as a PDU certificate. It is the responsibility of the learner to complete the contents and download and save the certificate for their records prior to 6/5/2027.

This presentation will discuss Non-Accidental Trauma cases in-depth, along with the correlation of our role as Child Life Specialists in the inpatient and outpatient hospital settings.

Suggested Domain: Assessment
1.0 PDU

Learning Objective(s):

- By the end of the presentation, participants will be able to identify support needs for patients and families (if present) during imaging.

- By the end of the presentation, participants will be able to assess patient and family needs throughout their hospitalization. 

- By the end of the presentation, participants will be aware of the different outcomes for children being evaluated for possible abuse. 

- By the end of the presentation, participants will be able to recognize common bruises and injuries frequently seen in children who were abused. 

- By the end of the presentation, participants will be able to differentiate services provided by outpatient and inpatient certified child life specialists.

Please note: All webinar contents and its certificate will expire on 6/20/2027 regardless of when it is purchased, accessed, or completed. At that point, contents will no longer be available in any form, including as an archive or as a PDU certificate. It is the responsibility of the learner to complete the contents and download and save the certificate for their records prior to 6/20/2027.

This presentation will guide participants through the process of launching a therapeutic cooking program in a hospital setting. It will cover the program's diverse goals and outcomes, emphasizing its enjoyable, practical, and family-centered aspects. The presentation will feature visual aids and an interactive segment, enabling participants to seek clarification on implementation and adjustments to suit their hospital's unique requirements.

Please note: All webinar content and its certificate will expire on 7/10/2027 regardless of when it is purchased, accessed, or completed. At that point, contents will no longer be available in any form, including as an archive or as a PDU certificate. It is the responsibility of the learner to complete the contents and download and save the certificate for their records before 7/10/2027.

The design of this session is to build the confidence of attendees to engage more comfortably and more frequently with individuals with autism. The goal is that attendees leave having gained a better understanding of common characteristics of autism to build a rapport with their patients, build on patient strengths and areas of interest, and support their individual and unique needs to provide the best care. Detailed methods and interventions will be presented, and time will be given for attendees to apply the knowledge during the session. Through the use of discussion and case examples, attendees will consider how to implement ideas in their medical settings to increase support and care for individuals with autism.

Suggested Domain: Professional Responsibility, Ethics, Assessment, Intervention, DEI
1.5 PDU

Learning Objective(s):

- Confidently engage with and provide support to patients with autism and their families; - and increase the number and duration of interactions with patients with autism

- Identify the importance of creating a sensory-supportive environment and implement two new ideas based on the evaluation of an environment and the needs of the individual

- Implement 3 new strategies for communication/providing information, supporting development, and procedural step supports

- Collaborate with nurses and/or full medical team to define benchmarks for and provide high-quality care, communicate information and interventions that are found to be supportive, and assist with gauging pain management and needs.

Please note: All webinar contents and its certificate will expire on 8/7/2027 regardless of when it is purchased, accessed, or completed. At that point, contents will no longer be available in any form, including as an archive or as a PDU certificate. It is the responsibility of the learner to complete the contents and download and save the certificate for their records prior to 8/7/2027.

Research continues to show an upward trend in pediatric firearms injuries and deaths, resulting in child life specialists being confronted with providing child life services at an increased rate to address this specific population’s unique and varying psychosocial support needs. This presentation is aimed to inform the profession of child life and its affiliates about the increasing frequency of pediatric firearm injuries and is useful for child life specialists, supervisors, and leaders to become more aware of assessment tools to address the emotional safety needs of affected patients, families, and communities at large.

Suggested Domain: Professional Responsibility, Assessment, DEI

1.5 PDU

Learning Objective(s):

- Acknowledge the upward trend and increase in firearm injuries amongst the general pediatric patient population through research and data over the past five years. 

- Recognize which pediatric patient populations are most at risk for experiencing a firearm injury and identify barriers in assessment amongst this population.

- Apply current research to child life assessment for patients impacted by firearm injuries. 

- Assess the varying emotional safety needs beyond the general scope of child life assessment related to the multifaceted effects a firearm injury has on patients, their families, and communities. 

- Discuss future implications amongst child life specialists for assessment screening tools and more robust child life support.

Please note: All webinar contents and its certificate will expire on 8/21/2027 regardless of when it is purchased, accessed, or completed. At that point, contents will no longer be available in any form, including as an archive or as a PDU certificate. It is the responsibility of the learner to complete the contents and download and save the certificate for their records prior to 8/21/2027.