A–Z Glossary

Medical play

Medical play uses pretend medical tools, dolls, stories, or role-play to help children prepare for healthcare experiences.

← Back to A–Z Glossary

Search results for: Medical play

Helping children who avoid new experiences

Helping children who avoid new experiences

Understanding avoidance without blame A child who avoids new experiences is not simply being difficult. Avoidance is a biologically understandable strategy: when the brain detects threat or uncertainty, the autonomic nervous system may shift toward fight, flight, freeze, or appease responses. In children, this can look like hiding behind a caregiver, refusing to enter a […]