Author Archives: Amanda Griffin

By Y. Katharine Chang, MD, FAAP Assistant Professor of Pediatrics Division of General Pediatrics When I was a young child, I don’t think car safety seats existed. For sure, there weren’t many laws about keeping kids safe in the car. … Continue reading →

By Maggie Zick, MS, CCLS Child Life Specialist One of my favorite classes in graduate school was Therapeutic Play Techniques for Child Life Specialists. I am not a play therapist, but I use therapeutic play techniques in my work as a … Continue reading →

By Stacey Meneilly, RD, CDN, CNSC Because a child’s body is still growing and developing, proper nutrition is crucial. Healthy snacks provide extra energy to fuel the body and can also provide essential vitamins and nutrients. Most children need two … Continue reading →

By Brian P. Rieger, PhD Chief Psychologist & Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, SUNY Upstate Medical University Director, Upstate Concussion Center Concussion is a common injury in children, and can cause physical, mental, and emotional symptoms … Continue reading →

By Mary Laverty, Family Resources and Services Coordinator One of the missions of the Family Resource Center (FRC) in Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital is to provide accurate, authoritative pediatric health information to families in our community. After reading the Peds … Continue reading →

by Margaret Nellis, Child Life Manager, MS CCLS Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital Child Life Team Parents and children all interact with the health care system—it could be a visit to the doctor, a visit to the pediatric emergency room, or … Continue reading →

By Gail Banach MS, IDDE, MS, Ed, BA Director of Public Education & Communications, Upstate New York Poison Center The famous Mark Twain once said, “Be careful of reading health books, you may die from a misprint.” The same may … Continue reading →

by Sue Karl, CCLS Child Life Specialist, Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital Are you smiling and laughing enough???   I hope so, but I don’t think so…. When did we all get so serious?  How nice is it to see a young child … Continue reading →

by Roseanne Jones, MS RDCDN Pediatric Dietitian The winter starts feeling long in February and there is nothing better to boost everyone’s mood than an oven-warmed house and the aroma of freshly baked goods.   Go figure, February is “Bake for … Continue reading →

Rachel using sponge to apply paint. The Child Life Specialist on her unit referred Rachel to me for Art Therapy today. When I introduced myself to Rachel shortly afterward, she welcomed an art therapy session saying “I love art. It … Continue reading →