b'Child life specialists work closely withthe back yard! Maybe a silly giant playing the families as well. They assist parents andbasketball with a concrete ball! What a silly caregivers, even siblings, in understandingbasketball game! That ball wont bounce!what is happening to the child who is the patient.Additionally, they would prepare the child They are advocates for needs for the familiesby practicing breathing techniques, for example, and the patient with the rest of the medical team.if the child becomes anxious during the test. They expose families to many activities toLets Bunny Breathe. Lets take three small help them process what is occurring with thesniffs through our noses: one, two, three. And patient. For example, adolescent siblings canone long breath out through our mouth. Finally, utilize teen lounges and siblings from ages twothey may supply music through headphones to 11 can utilize playrooms. They also check inor allow the child to watch a movie through on caregivers, to make sure their needs are metvideo goggles to assist in further distracting while their child is hospitalized. A hospitalthe child. stay can be long and boring for everyone.There are other aspects of pediatric-onset Child life specialists also engage the familiesMS that a child life specialist is aware of as with activities, for example with art projectswell. According to the Cleveland Clinic, the for the entire family.yearly incidence of pediatric onset MS in the Preparing children for procedures United States is .0183 to .0651 per 100,000 Those of us who are adults with MS some- children. A diagnosis of pediatric-onset MS times have difficulty coming up with the rightprior to puberty is rare, with the diagnosis words to describe the effects of this disease ontypically occurring after puberty. Like adult our bodies. For example, the unusual sensationsMS, females are affected more often than males. we feel, the bizarre experiences of being dizzy.Thus, if pediatric onset MS typically affects But, unlike children, we can ask better questionsadolescent girls, the psychosocial effects will when we are scared and grasp procedures weneed to be addressed. In this case, a child life needforourhealth.Mostproceduresinspecialist can assist with diagnosis education. hospitals are scary. An MRI machine, forFor example, by talking through concerns, example, is a tiny, dark space and extraordinarilysuch as how to explain the disease to friends, loud, with so many banging and poundinghow to work through bladder and bowel issues, noises. helping the teen with accommodations through Most people with MS have had at least oneher school, and so on. Being a teenager is hard MRI in their lives. We, as adults, are well-preparedenough without adding pediatric-onset MS, to understand what will happen in the MRI.and the child life specialists role in aiding the For a child with MS, a child life specialist wouldteen is amazingly benecial.prepare the child for getting an MRI by rstAdding a child life specialist to any facility explaining what is happening: why would suchthat provides medical care to children, a procedure occur? They may use a doll to showadolescents, and their families is a welcome a child the brain, and explain, We need to ndaddition. These highly trained individuals are out if something in the brain is making youvital to helping patients with pediatric-onset feel dizzy. I wonder what it could be? The MRIMS obtain the examinations needed to get machine is going to tell us. Next, they may playthem on the road to therapy and recovery. recordingsofsoundsthechildmighthearThey are a helpful connection between the during the procedure. They may ask, Whatchild and family, and the medical environment, could we imagine that sound is? Someonehelpingtomakescarysituationsalotless jackhammering a rock to build a new pool inscary, and more understandable. 21msfocusmagazine.org'