My Pain Alert ^TM Scale Communication Tool is an introduction to pain management for the very young and for people with communication handicaps. Just as we train our small children to convey their bowel and bladder needs, we can train very young and limited communicators to clarify their pain relief needs.

Forty years of speech therapy practice have been distilled to make this tool widely accessible. The degree of pain is divided into only five levels. The description relates each level to the limited communicator's own experiences. The levels are depicted by a person, not a symbol. The level for feeling better is above the most common pain experiences rather than at the end of the scale. The pictures are appealing and the activities can be fun.

My Pain Alert ^TM Scale Communication Tool includes a quick method of recording detail about the individual at the time pain is experienced. Such a record can strengthen family-doctor teamwork needed to solve serious pain issues.

Individuals can use: pointing at pictures, words, numbers, American Sign Language signs or specific sounds in response to descriptions, song verses, pictures, ASL signs or verbal cues.

Standardized questions included in the Tools section of this book can facilitate research about the populations for which this book is intended. We hope this book helps each person who owns it.