2016 Call For Submissions
CLC 34th Annual Conference on Professional Issues
May 19-22, 2016
Walt Disney World Swan & Dolphin, Orlando, FL
“INNOVATION, IMAGINATION, INSPIRATION”
UPDATED GUIDELINES
The Child Life Council (CLC), established in 1982, offers an unparalleled educational and networking experience for
child life professionals. The annual conference program provides ideas on innovative resources and best practices
in child life. CLC invites the submission of presentation proposals for its annual conference on issues that relate to
the child life profession. All CLC members who wish to present at the CLC Conference shall submit their abstract
through the online Call for Submissions. This includes all forms of professional development sessions, workshops,
intensives (see below) and posters. Non-CLC members interested in submitting an abstract may follow these
guidelines and/or should contact CLC for clarification or questions, by emailing conference@childlife.org.
Submission Requirements
Abstracts must reflect issues relevant to the field of child life. For abstracts reporting research activities, research
must be completed and/or preliminary data analysis available, at the time of submission. Information presented
should be relevant to attendees from institutions of varying sizes (e.g., large pediatric centers to one-person
programs to community settings).
Submissions including topics related to child life are encouraged. Additionally, submissions in the following subject
areas related to the conference theme of “Innovation, Imagination, Inspiration” are strongly encouraged:
INNOVATION
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Innovation in Play – As a result of an external funder, CLC may provide up to two (2) scholarships for the
most outstanding submissions specifically geared toward the topic of “Innovation in Play”.
Evidenced based research practices and/or evidenced informed practices in play
Innovations in leadership and management skills
Innovative clinical practices or resources
Evidence based research related to child life practice
IMAGINATION
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Play – creative and advanced practices in play
Creative community or corporate partnerships
Effective communication, leadership and management skill development
Complex management issues and advanced leadership skills for the experienced manager
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INSPIRATION
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Play – methods for incorporating play into daily child life practice
Clinical practice relating to multidisciplinary teams, technology, diversity, diversity, special needs,
mental/behavioral health, bereavement, alternative settings
Child life student support (practicum, internships, etc.)
Leadership skills for all child life specialists
Leadership and management skills for the new manager
Ethical principles in child life practice
Submission Guidelines
 Presenters are limited to two abstract submissions, in total, per conference.
 CLC uses a blind review process for the first two of three committee reviews.
 Presenters and institutions must NOT be identified by name or description in the abstract, outline, or
summary. Please do not use a specific program name that is attributed to your hospital (think of it like
something that is ‘trademarked’ or ‘copyrighted’ to your program). You may use “this author” “this
program”, “this hospital”, in your submission to avoid disclosing yourself, your institution, or your program.
 If you, your institution, or program is named, your abstract may not be reviewed.
 Each abstract must be written in narrative form, meaning in the third person. For example, Child life
specialists use play to communicate with children in the medical setting.
 Presenters shall not sell or promote any particular product or service at any time during the presentation.
 If your abstract submission does not follow the current submission guidelines, your submission may be
eliminated from the review process.
Submission Content
A. Title
The title should be engaging and reflective of the topic.
B. Summary & Learning Objectives
Presenters must submit a brief summary (40 – 50 words) and 3 to 5 specific behavioral learning objectives. Be
specific as to what behaviors, action items, or expectations the presenter expects the attendee to achieve at the
conclusion of the session
Summary: If selected, this will be used as the description in the conference promotional materials. This
information should be reflective of the content of the presentation
Learning objectives: By the end of this presentation, participants will be able to…..
C. Domain
Presenters must designate the Domain for the topic of the abstract.
1- Professional Responsibility (Task 1-5), including Professional Ethics
2- Assessment (Task 1-3)
3- Intervention (Task 1-7)
(For more information on Domain and Task, please visit the Certification section of the CLC website.)
D. Presentation Level
Presenters should select the appropriate presentation level from the options below.
Foundational: Information presented will be appropriate for attendees seeking to strengthen their
basic/foundational knowledge in this content area.
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Intermediate: Information presented will be appropriate for attendees with intermediate knowledge in this
content area.
Advanced: Information presented will be appropriate for attendees with advanced knowledge in this
content area.
Student: Information presented will be appropriate for students studying to enter the field of child life.
E. Abstract Components
All abstracts MUST be a minimum of 500 words and a maximum of 700, excluding the outline/organization of
presentation and references. Each sub-section of the abstract must be completed. Please keep in mind that subsections should flow from one category to another to create a comprehensive and integrated overall abstract.
Abstracts should fit into one of four categories: Research, Program/Project Development, Theoretical Innovations,
or Student Track. Once the author determines where the topic fits best, please follow the instruction track for that
category. For Research, follow track A. For Program/Project development, follow Track B. For Theoretical
Innovations, follow Track C. For Student Track, follow Track D.
Use the following definitions to determine where your topic fits best:
Track A. Research submissions describe a research project or protocol relevant to child life theory or
practice. All research and analysis must be completed before submission.
Track B. Program/Project Development submissions describe a program or project that has been
implemented by the author(s).
Track C. Theoretical Innovations submissions describe a new idea or theory relevant to child life education,
assessment, intervention or professional development that has impacted the author’s practice.
Track D. Student Track submissions describe an educational, learning opportunity relevant to students in
the field of child life as well as entry level practitioners. A limited number of submissions will be accepted
for this track.
Abstracts must include the following information and must be in American Psychological Association (APA) format.
Please see APA Website.
Abstract Subsections:
I. Introduction
Track A
Research introductions should include relevant and current evidence that supports the rationale and
design of the research study conducted.
Track B
Program/Project development introductions should describe why the author initiated the
program/project and how the need for the program/project was assessed. Include literature to
support the author’s rationale.
Track C
Theoretical innovations introductions should include support for the new idea or theory including
how the idea was developed, discovered, and applied by the author. Please cite current evidence
that substantiates the need and/or theoretical basis for the idea.
Track D
Student track introductions should include the topic, theory or learning opportunity being presented
and how it will provide an educational opportunity for students in the field of child life. Please use
current evidence to support the topic being presented.
II. Description
Track A
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Research descriptions must include the author’s research design, methodology, participants, sample size
and any other related research procedures.
Track B
Program/Project development descriptions should describe in detail how the program/project was
implemented. This should include the program/project components, steps to completion, setting
and target audience.
Track C
Theoretical innovations descriptions should describe in detail the new idea or theory being
introduced by the author. Details should include how the idea or theory was introduced to the
author’s practice and the potential impact on children and families.
Track D
Student track descriptions should describe in detail the learning/educational opportunity being
presented. This should include specifics as to how the topic will enrich the training for students,
develop their child life competencies and/or strengthen their development as a child life
professional.
III. Outcome
Track A
Research outcomes must include full and completed analysis of the data and description of the
results of the study. Partial or preliminary analysis is not acceptable.
Track B
Program/Project development outcomes must explain what happened as a result of the
implementation of the program/project.
Track C
Theoretical innovations outcomes must illustrate the contribution the new idea or theory has made
to the author’s practice.
Track D
Student track outcomes must describe how the topic will enrich learning and educational
development for child life students.
IV. Relevance to Child Life Practice
For all four tracks, authors should discuss how this research, project/program or new idea/theory
impacts the child life profession and practice. Describe why the submission is important and
relevant to the field and those who working in the field.
F. Organization of Presentation
Provide a comprehensive outline detailing the content of your presentation. Please include teaching
methods/techniques you plan to utilize and experiences you’ll create for the participants. This section can be in
outline or paragraph form and written in 1st person, i.e. “I am going to…” This section should also correlate directly
with the Learning Objectives you previously indicated in Section B.
G. References
Any time a statement is based on documents/resources that are not your own thoughts, they must be referenced
properly. References include peer reviewed journals, websites, books etc. that are a source or evidence of the
statement you have made. Use a variety of reference sources that fit with the topic; include peer reviewed journals
when appropriate. All references included in the reference list must be used in the body of the abstract. Reference
list as well as in-text citations must adhere to APA format (see the APA Website for more details).
Presentation Format (audience size may range from 80 – 500, unless otherwise noted below)
Poster Presentation: Again this year, posters will be electronic in format. There will be a scheduled
timeframe for authors to present their poster (1 – 2 presenters)
Professional Development Session: One (1) hour presentation including questions (1-2 presenters)
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Professional Development Workshop: One and one half hour (1 ½) presentation including discussion (up to
3 presenters)
Professional Development Panel: One and one half hour (1 ½) presentation with 3-4 presenters with
different roles and/or from different institutions discussing their approach to a particular issue or aspect of
practice.
Innovation, Imagination, Inspiration Talk: 30 minute presentation and discussion about the topic, this
includes Q & A (1 presenter). Up to 3 of these types of presentations may be combined by the Conference
Planning Committee to fit a larger program timeslot (i.e., 1 hour or 1.5 hours).
Half Day and Full Day Intensive Seminars: Intensives are single topics that go into much greater detail than
a Workshop. Half-day Intensives are 3 hours (up to 3 presenters), and full-day Intensives are 6 hours (up to
5 presenters). The audience size for an Intensive could range from 50 – 150 attendees. Since registrants are
charged additionally for attending an Intensive and there are a limited number offered, CLC does provide a
stipend to Intensive presenters. This stipend is a standard amount; please contact the CLC office
(Conference@childlife.org) for the stipend scale.
Previous Presentation
Have you presented this research/program development/theoretical innovation at another venue?
If so, where and when?
Room Set
Standard room sets are theater-style, with audience sitting side-by-side in chairs (no tables), in rows. There will be
one head-table with 2 chairs and a Podium with a microphone. In addition, meeting rooms will have a Screen and
LCD Projector. Please indicate if a non-standard room set is requested – this non-standard set may or may not be
able to be accommodated.
Recording Sessions
Some sessions may be recorded (audio and/or video) for possible educational use for the membership after
conference. Please indicate if there is a specific reason your session may not be recorded.
Confirmation that submission was received
The primary contact will receive confirmation of receipt through the online submission process. If you do not
receive confirmation of receipt of your submission, check your work to ensure that all required areas were met. If
you have done so and still have not received confirmation, please contact the CLC office immediately at 1-800-2524515.
Notification
One presenter should be designated as the primary contact person. All correspondence pertaining to abstract
submission will be sent to the primary contact person. Presenter information will be listed in the conference
program as submitted within the online proposal.
The primary contact will be notified in via email, of the Conference Program Committee’s acceptance or declination
of each abstract submission. Individuals whose abstracts are accepted will need to sign a contractual agreement
with Child Life Council that indicates each author’s commitment to speak and present the content of the session as
accepted by the Committee. In order to create a balanced overall conference program, the Committee may
request changes to presentation format or length of accepted abstracts; the contractual agreement would indicate
any such changes.
Presenters whose abstracts are accepted and who agree to present must register for the CLC conference and are
obligated to present. If unforeseen circumstances arise, that affect a presenters ability to attend conference, an
alternate presenter must be identified to convey the content that is detailed in the accepted abstract. Presenters
are responsible for all travel, hotel, and related costs. Presenters will receive a discount off of basic registration and
are strongly encouraged to register by the Early Bird deadline. CLC will provide a standard Audio/Visual set
consisting of a Screen and LCD Projector for all presentations. Internet access is not provided. The complete list of
provided audio/visual services and equipment will be identified in the speaker agreement.
Abstract Review Process
The CLC Call for Submissions is designed to elicit information necessary to review content and organization of
proposed presentations. Members of the Conference Program Planning Committee review the submissions, score
and recommend submissions to be selected. Each abstract is rated according to:
1. Quality of Content - Evaluation of background/literature review, purpose and strength of the objectives; clearly
articulated methodology and outcomes as well as relevance to child life practice.
2. Quality of Abstract Organization - Abstract is readable and understandable with clearly stated lines of logic
from one thought to the next. Abstract is presented in an orderly, cogent fashion. Call for Submission
guidelines must be followed.
3. Quality of Writing – Abstract is written in conformity with standard grammatical rules, has cogency/clarity,
and correct sentence structure.
Presenter Biographical Information (This information will not be shared with reviewers until after the first 3 rounds of reviewing).
For each presenter, be sure the following information is included:
 Full name
 Academic and professional credentials
 Position title, affiliation
 Mailing address
 Telephone and fax numbers
 Email address
 Presenter’s expertise which qualifies him/her to present this topic
 List the last three professional presentations made, or indicate you will be presenting for the first time.
Helpful Resources
Please note there are several resources available to help you in writing your abstract:
 Helpful Tips when Writing an Abstract
 APA Website
 Journal Article
 Power Point Presentation “The CLC Call for Abstracts: Understanding the Guidelines and Strategies to
Improve your Abstract Submission”
Deadline
Abstracts must be sent to CLC through the online submission process opening Wednesday, July 1 and
closing Sunday, July 19, 2015.
2016 Call For Papers
CLC 34th Annual Conference on Professional Issues
conference@childlife.org
www.childlife.org