Human Development and Family Studies with a Child Health Care Emphasis is an excellent major for anyone planning to work with children and families in a healthcare settings. Alumni of the program have gone on to a variety of careers in medicine such as pediatrician, pediatric cardiologist, family practice, occupational therapy, dentistry, certified child life specialist etc.<br>Illness, injury, and health care environments can be distressing experiences for most children, adolescents and families. Psychological problems related to childhood illness, injury and treatment include increased juvenile delinquency, lower reading scores, more negative ratings from authority figures, and greater prevalence of reported psychiatric disturbance in middle childhood, adolescence and adulthood.<br><br>Awareness of the potential for negative emotional effects caused by illness, injury and health care experience has led to an increased concern for the psychosocial aspects of pediatric care. In response to this concern the child life specialist profession has emerged as an in-demand pediatric discipline. Child Life Specialists are an important part of the health care team focused on the developmental, emotional, social, and health education of pediatric patients and families. Relying on creative forms of play and other age-appropriate interactions, child life specialists seek to reduce the stress of health care experiences and enable children, adolescents and families to cope effectively with illness, injury and treatment.