Challenging child development theory on the understanding of death : learning through the experiences of child life specialists

The purpose of this research was to review the experiences of Child Life Specialists, to determine whether or not children with a terminal illness have a more advanced knowledge of death than traditional child developmental theory suggests. This research was a qualitative design in the form of a questionnaire and examined the experiences of five professional Child Life Specialists in the Greater Toronto Area. The findings revealed that Child Life Specialists have found that there is a difference of understanding of death between a healthy and terminally ill child. This information could lead to better practices for pediatric palliative care by providing those who work with palliative children, a better understanding of their perceptions and understanding of death.