Meet Our Health Play Specialist

Hi! I’m Nitisha, the Health Play Specialist at Little Journey. I have 17 years of play expertise and two degrees in Childhood Development and Healthcare Play. I’m passionate about using play to improve hospital experiences for children!

In my career, play has been a central theme whether it’s in early education, supporting autistic children, or volunteering overseas. Play lets children make sense of the world, learn how to take considered risks, and learn in meaningful ways. As an autistic support worker, I tailored play activities to fit each child's learning style. Volunteering overseas, I found that play was a universal language that transcended language barriers.

My interest in healthcare grew from working with children with complex needs. Historically, healthcare services have developed their patient approaches around adults’ needs. This meant that hospital experiences for children were particularly anxiety provoking and traumatising. The introduction of play to support children through hospital procedures has transformed paediatric healthcare.

As a Health Play Specialist (also known as a ‘Child Life Specialist’ in other parts of the world,) I work with children from the newborn age to seventeen years old.  I assess, prepare, and support children through their procedures using age-appropriate play activities. This preparation reduces anxiety, supports understanding, and helps obtain informed consent or co-operation.

Key roles of a health play specialist include:

• ‘post-procedural play’: lets children reflect on their experiences, helping them process and cope with their fears.
• diverting attention uses playful distractions during healthcare procedures.
• ‘normalising play’: familiarises children with the hospital environment and equipment, creating positive associations and desensitising them to medical equipment.
• role play: helps younger children understand their procedures and explore emotions.
• sibling support: provides a space for siblings to express their worries and questions.
• palliative care support: helps children express emotions and plan exciting activities. This offers them emotional and well-being support throughout their healthcare journey.

I’ve found that play lets children navigate emotions and understand their surroundings. It bridges the gap between treatment and engagement in their healthcare journey.

Working at Little Journey aligns with my passion for preparing and educating children before their hospital procedures. My dream is for play-centred approaches to be recognised as a global necessity for paediatric healthcare.

Play is powerful and can have a significant, long-term impact on a child’s hospital experience. I believe in the vital role of play in supporting children's health and well-being, which is why I love being a health play specialist!

I think you could end on a personal note like ‘…which is why I love being a Health Play Specialist!’