Type of service: Diagnostic services

Website: http://www.cardiffandvaleuhb.wales.nhs.uk

A tertiary diagnostic service for children and young people with complex needs in Cardiff and the Vale. Children from other parts of Wales can be seen if funding is agreed. 'Show me where?' is a communication tool which enables adults and children who have communication difficulties, to convey the location of pain or discomfort to parents or carers. The tool depicts images of different body parts from which the patient or client can then select and indicate the area of pain or discomfort. Carers and clinicians can also communicate with the non-verbal patient in the same way using the images to indicate the area they wish to examine, thus informing the patient, gaining consent and reducing anxiety. Where is it used?: Appropriate pain relieving intervention is in order to prevent complications before a patient becomes overly distressed and difficult to manage. Presenting 'Show me where?' routinely to non-verbal patients in hospital/care home environments aims to help to reduce anxiety and facilitate mutually consistent, confident communication and in turn appropriate pain relieving intervention. 'Show me where?' also enables continuity of care because the pictorial body images allow the tool to be understood in different environments or where adults or children may not speak English. Initially designed for the needs of autistic children who were unable communicate pain and were impossible to examine because of anxiety or sensory issues. 'Show me where?' aims to have a calming effect during medical examinations of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) enabling clinicians to communicate in a familiar way without direct eye contact, reducing anxiety and allowing the child to understand the procedure.

Aimed at: Adolescent , Child , Young person

Gender: All genders

Referral Sources: NHS Only

Specialisms: Exclusively autism specific