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Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2005;159:414.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

Using the language of play and metaphor builds relationships and enables physicians to examine young children in ways that create positive experiences.

"No doctor! No doctor!" exclaims my next patient, his small hands pressed tightly over his ears, a determined scowl on his face. Ryan is 2 years old. I smile at him and say, "Hi." "No doctor!" he replies. After talking with his mother and letting him get used to me, I approach him slowly. He looks at me with big blue eyes beneath his brown, spiking crew cut.

"Would you like to see a pink finger?" I ask as I put my finger on the otoscope light and it lights up pink. I note, playfully, how silly that is. A skeptical smile forms on his face. We play peek-a-boo with the light and I examine his eyes. "Show me the biggest mouth in the world!" I exclaim. . . . [Full Text of this Article]

AUTHOR INFORMATION

Elizabeth A. Rider, MSW, MD