children's health
Simple Interactions can extend beyond traditional educational settings to any context where adults and children interact together. Beyond families and teachers, medical professionals may be some of the most consistent adult presences in a child's life - particularly for children with health challenges.
In collaboration with the Child Life staff of the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, the Fred Rogers Institute team adapted the Simple Interactions approach to support an internal professional learning community of Child Life Specialists and Assistants, Music Therapists, and Art Therapists. Fred Rogers was an early advocate and spokesperson for the psychosocial care of children in hospital settings. Fred Rogers had worked with Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Medical Association on developing ideas, messages, and materials for such advocacy. Keeping in mind Fred’s messages concerning the importance of care and cure working in tandem to support children’s health, the team observed the interactions between Child Life Specialists, Music Therapists, and Art Therapists with children and families throughout Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh over a four month period. This included interactions in the emergency medicine department, short-term stay, oncology and hematology units, cardiac intensive care unit, and pediatric radiology center. After observing and filming interactions, hospital staff participated in learning sessions that highlighted the high-quality interactions and moments observed between specialists and therapists and the children and families in their care.
In collaboration with the Child Life staff of the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, the Fred Rogers Institute team adapted the Simple Interactions approach to support an internal professional learning community of Child Life Specialists and Assistants, Music Therapists, and Art Therapists. Fred Rogers was an early advocate and spokesperson for the psychosocial care of children in hospital settings. Fred Rogers had worked with Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Medical Association on developing ideas, messages, and materials for such advocacy. Keeping in mind Fred’s messages concerning the importance of care and cure working in tandem to support children’s health, the team observed the interactions between Child Life Specialists, Music Therapists, and Art Therapists with children and families throughout Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh over a four month period. This included interactions in the emergency medicine department, short-term stay, oncology and hematology units, cardiac intensive care unit, and pediatric radiology center. After observing and filming interactions, hospital staff participated in learning sessions that highlighted the high-quality interactions and moments observed between specialists and therapists and the children and families in their care.