But They Don't Understand!: How to Support Grieving Kids from Birth - 5 years

Course overview

Learn how to support our youngest grievers and allow them space to process and heal. It is a common misconception that young children are unaware of what is going on around them, and this is believed even more so after a death. However, children are quite perceptive and while they may not articulate their experiences well verbally, they use all 5 senses to learn about the world and can tell when things around them have changed. Join us to learn more about how to support our youngest grievers and why it is important to give them information and allow them space to process and heal. Learning Objectives: 1. Explore in-depth normal development in children aged 0-5 years., 2. Discuss grief symptoms in 0-5 year olds and how grief can disrupt typical development., 3. Learn ways to share information about death with 0-5 year olds and how to respond to questions. Presenter: Lendy Chapman, MS, CCLS is a Certified Child Life Specialist with 20+ years of experience, has provided child life services for over 15 years at a local children's hospital. She's supported children and families in various units including the ER, NICU, PICU, and Hem/Onc. Actively involved in the Association of Child Life Porfessionals, Lendy has presented at national conferences and served on committees. She earned her Masters from Boston Univeristy in 2015. Lendy also serves as an adjunct instructor at the Univesity of Central Florida, preparing future professionals. Currently, she works at Blue Butterfly Family Grief Center, counseling grieving children an providing support to families.