Episodic illness is also known as acute illness. Du Gas defines acute illness as pertaining to a condition with a sudden, severe onset and a relatively short course . Episodic illnesses with the younger pediatric population tend to evoke more concern with parents and health care professionals because of their still developing immune systems and susceptibility to complications. The family used for this assignment is considered to be nuclear, and is made up of Mr. and Mrs. L, and their daughter M. M is a two-year-old who was admitted to Mount Saint Joseph’s Children’s ward with an upper respiratory infection. Mr. and Mrs. L are in their generative or child rearing stage, and according to Erikson’s developmental theory, M is in her autonomy vs. shame and doubt stage (Wong, D., 1999). Throughout her hospital stay, M was playful, happy and very cooperative. She has an astonishing vocabulary for her age, and is capable of doing much for herself. This may be due in part to her authoritative parents. According to Donna Wong, authoritative parents combine practices from both of the foregoing extremes (passive and authoritarian). They direct their children’s behavior and attitudes by emphasizing the reason for rules and negatively reinforcing deviations.` (p.95).`