Allied health professionals specialising in child development who deliver evidence-based interventions to reduce stress and anxiety associated with healthcare experiences, while supporting children’s developmental, social, and emotional wellbeing.

They support children as they navigate medical procedures, illness, injury and hospitalisation — reducing fear, anxiety and trauma through developmentally informed, evidence‑based approaches.

CLTs help children:

Understand what is happening

Express emotions safely

Build coping skills

Feel more in control

Child Life Therapists (CLTs) provide support before, during and after medical experiences — filling a gap often left by hospital‑based services.

Community CLTs can help with:

Preparing children for upcoming medical procedures

Managing medical anxiety and fear Processing past traumatic or distressing healthcare events

Supporting long‑term coping for chronic illness

Creating personalised resources for future healthcare encounters

Reframing negative medical experiences to improve cooperation

Why it matters:

Children who feel prepared and supported cope better, recover faster, and engage more confidently with healthcare.

CLTs use a child‑ and family‑centred, trauma‑informed approach.

Preparation & Coping Support:

Developmentally appropriate explanations

Individualised coping plans

Support before, during and after procedures

Therapeutic & Medical Play:

Non‑directive play for emotional expression

Directed medical play to explain and normalise procedures

Opportunities for mastery and control

Outcome:

Children feel safer, more confident, and better able to participate in their healthcare.

CLTs work with infants, children, young people and families experiencing:

Anxiety about medical procedures

Fear due to previous negative healthcare experiences

Difficulty understanding their condition or treatment

Emotional or behavioural changes linked to medical stress

Challenges coping with chronic illness

Distress during community‑based procedures (vaccinations, blood tests, imaging)

CLTs support children and young people who:

Experience anxiety, fear, or distress related to healthcare, including vaccinations, blood tests, imaging, and other medical procedures.

Avoid or delay medical appointments due to healthcare anxiety, needle phobia, or previous negative medical experiences.

Have difficulty taking prescribed medications (e.g. tablets, liquids, inhalers, or injections), affecting treatment adherence.

Have autism, ADHD, developmental differences, communication needs, or sensory sensitivities that impact their engagement with healthcare.

Have complex, chronic, or life-limiting medical conditions requiring ongoing treatment or repeated healthcare encounters.

Require diagnostic imaging (e.g. MRI, CT, or ultrasound) or invasive procedures.

Have experienced medical trauma, repeated procedures, or prolonged hospitalisation.

Struggle with treatment participation or compliance due to fear, sensory sensitivities, or limited understanding of medical care.

Show behavioural or emotional changes following illness, injury, or medical procedures (e.g. sleep disturbances, toileting regression, separation anxiety, or increased distress).

Have siblings who are affected by a child's illness, injury, or hospitalisation.

CLTs Provide:

Individualised preparation for healthcare appointments, medical procedures, hospital admissions, and diagnostic investigations.

Procedure-specific preparation (e.g. MRI without sedation, blood tests, injections, surgery, and imaging).

Developmentally appropriate education using therapeutic and medical play to increase understanding, reduce anxiety, and minimise medical trauma.

Individualised coping plans for repeated or complex treatments, incorporating evidence-based strategies such as distraction, positioning for comfort, relaxation, and choice-making.

Medication support programs, including graded tablet swallowing, desensitisation, sensory-informed approaches, and routines for tablets, liquids, and inhalers.

Practical strategies to improve treatment participation, medication adherence, and follow-up compliance.

Parent and caregiver coaching to support emotional regulation, reduce distress, and build confidence in managing healthcare at home.

Visual supports, social stories, and personalised resources to prepare children for future healthcare experiences.

Ongoing follow-up to reduce healthcare avoidance, strengthen coping skills, and promote positive healthcare experiences.

Collaboration with paediatricians, general practitioners, nurses, allied health professionals, educators, and hospital teams to provide coordinated, child and family-centred care.

Support for hospital admission, discharge planning, and transition back to home, school, and community settings.

(Psychologists, OTs, Speech Pathologists, Social Workers, Physiotherapists)

CLTs complement allied health by:

Supporting children with complex or chronic medical histories that impact engagement in therapy

Providing therapeutic play to process trauma

Preparing children for procedures that may impact therapy

Co‑creating coping plans for multidisciplinary care

CLTs offer:

Preparation for procedures and hospital experiences

Targeted support for medical trauma and healthcare-related anxiety

Support and coping strategies for siblings and family members

Personalised resources for future healthcare encounters

CLTs help students who:

Are preparing for or returning from hospitalisation

Show behavioural or emotional changes linked to medical stress

Need help understanding their health needs

Schools benefit from:

Reintegration support

Strategies for school‑based health procedures

Developmentally appropriate health education