By Clare Nimura When children are faced with serious health problems at a young age, they can undergo medical treatments that are stressful or even traumatic. The support and guidance of a child life specialist can help a child navigate the challenges of illness and have even been shown to improve physical recovery. The Child Life profession has been expanding since the mid-1950s but is still not widely known nor a universal standard for pediatric care. In a perfect world, it would be.