Academic programming for child life education: a case study

The Child Life Education Program at Case Western Reserve University provides a case study of the development of an innovative academic program for health professionals. This article describes the process of curriculum development and the integration of the curriculum into an existing academic program. The interdisciplinary and individualized nature of the program increases the likelihood of meeting the unique needs of health care workers. From the institutional perspective, benefits include improved communication between students, faculty, and departments, often resulting in expanded learning experiences and flexible approaches to the utilization of existing resources within a university.