Toddler Test/Procedure Preparation

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Play preparation

Play and third-person communication can be wonderful and revealing ways of
demonstrating the procedure for your child and identifying his or her concerns.
This technique needs to be individualized for each child, and most health care
facilities that are oriented toward children use similar techniques to prepare
children for procedures.

Many young children have an object of importance they keep close to them. This
object or toy can be a tool for a type of interaction called third-party communication. It is less threatening for your child to communicate concerns through the toy or object than to express them directly. For example, consider a 2-year-old girl who is clearly afraid, has a doll named Debbie, and is going to have her blood drawn. You could look at the girl and tell her that Debbie looks like she might feel afraid. Your child may or may not share those feelings at this point, and additional questioning along this line may be necessary.

The same object or doll can be a productive tool for explaining the procedure.
Children of this age are very concrete thinkers. Concrete thinking involves taking everything literally and assuming an inability to make deductions or generalizations. For younger children who have a limited vocabulary, visual examples and experimentation may be helpful.

Once you have been familiarized with the procedure by your health care provider and/or other sources of information, briefly demonstrate on the toy or object what your child will experience. For example, show positioning, bandages, stethoscopes, cleaning the skin, and how incisions are made, injections are given, and IVs are inserted. After your demonstration, allow your child to play with some of the noninvasive items. The way he or she plays can also give you clues regarding concerns and fears.

Regardless of the test or procedure performed, your child will probably cry. This is a normal response to a strange environment, unfamiliar people and separation from you. Knowing this from the beginning may help relieve some of your anxiety about what to expect. Having specific information about the test may further reduce your anxiety. For more information please see the section regarding the specific test or consult your health care provider.