SCOPE is conducting research a Pain Checklist to see if it can help disability support workers identify pain in adults with intellectual disability and limited communication.

Participation involves direct support workers completing a short online course. The course is an opportunity to upskill staff. The interactive course includes information about: how and why people experience pain, addresses common myths about pain, describes the health conditions associated with pain in adults with intellectual disability, outlines the barriers to identifying pain in adults with intellectual disability and limited communication, and describes the factors which influence how people experience pain. The course takes about 25 minutes to complete.

In addition to completing the course, participation for support workers involves:

• Completing a 10 minute survey about the course.
• Completing a Pain Checklist about a person with intellectual disability who the support worker works with. This will take about 10 minutes and is to be completed when the person with intellectual disability is content.
• Completing the Pain Checklist a second time, when the support worker thinks that the person with intellectual disability is in pain. This will take 10 minutes to complete.

To participate, or to find out more about the research go to the SCOPE website or contact Tessa-May Zirnsak (Research Assistant) on 03 9843 4488 or email TZirnsak@scopeaust.org.au