Certified Child Life Specialists in Diabetes Care

What is a Child Life Specialist?

The Certified Child Life Specialist at the UMass Memorial diabetes care clinic supports children and families as needed, beginning at their very first office visit. She works closely with the pediatric diabetes care team to provide age-appropriate support and interventions, including therapeutic activities in the waiting area and exam room, procedural support, medical and recreational play, developmentally appropriate education, and general family support. She helps children build confidence and participate in their care.

Assisting families during office visits

• Assessing how the child is doing with fingersticks, injections, and rotating sites. Developing incentive/reward charts with pre-school and younger elementary students as needed to reinforce positive diabetes care. 
  • Developing a Poke Coping Plan 
• Socialization and managing life with diabetes at school, with siblings, and other peer relationships.
• Reducing stress, anxiety, and fear of medical staff, DKA, hypoglycemia, injections, etc.
• Transitioning to continuous glucose monitors and/or insulin pump therapy.

Types of interventions

There are different strategies and interventions for helping infants and toddlers (newborn to two years old), preschoolers (2-5 years old), school age (5-12 years old) and adolescents (ages 12 and up).  Click below to learn more.

Infant       Toddler       Preschooler

School-Age Child       Adolescents

Child Life Specialist: Julie Carrier, MS, CCLS  

- Bachelor's degree from Endicott College in Art Therapy 
- Master's degree in Child Life and Family Centered Care from Boston University 

"I love getting the opportunity to bring play and joy into the clinic setting. Fostering an inclusive and welcoming space in collaboration with the interdisciplinary team makes the clinic a wonderful place to be for patients, staff, and families."