Child life specialists as facilitators of child participation : a thematic literature review

The child's right to participate is a fundamental right outlined in the UN convention on the rights of the child. Canada signed and ratified this convention in 1991. Through secondary literature and the author's personal experience this paper explores the child's right to participate in the context of canadian pediatric medicine. In particular, this paper examines if and how a child is encouraged to participate in their health care, and which members of the health care team facilitate this participation. The paper also outlines a number of factors that limit or enhance child participation. Recommendations and next steps are included in the paper with the purpose of enhancing the quality and amount of participation that is offered to pediatric patients within hospital settings. One recommendation that is developed and discussed is the increased role of the child life profession as a tool for enabling child participation.