ABSTRACT
The m ost com m on mistake adults m ake w hen com m unicating w ith chil dren w ho are grieving is assuming that children th ink like adults. In do ing so, grieving adults frequently project their ow n fears and perceptions of death onto the children w ith w hom they are dealing. The effect of this type of projection is that children miss an opportunity to learn to face loss in a m anner appropriate to their developm ental age, if not the opportu nity to confront the loss altogether (Giblin & Ryan, 1991).
