Educators’ Experiences Identifying Pain Among Students in Special Education Settings

Abstract

If special educators cannot identify pain in students with intellectual disability (ID), students cannot be referred to the school nurse for assessment and management. The purpose of this study was to examine how special educators identify pain in the school setting. Twenty-four special educators participated in focus groups aiming to (1) identify educators' observations and perceptions of pain in students with ID and (2) determine the decision-making processes educators use to determine the need for student presentation or referral to the health office. Overall, special educators know students well enough to differentiate pain-related behaviors from normal well-child behaviors, prioritize student safety, and draw on personal experiences with pain when addressing pain in students with ID. Special educators welcome opportunities to learn more about pain in children with ID. Teachers, nurses, and other professionals should share knowledge about and experiences of working with students in pain to improve practices.

U.S. School Nursing Job Analysis

“…Working as an effective member of an interprofessional group is an important skill for all members of a student team. To the same degree that teachers can provide valuable input to school nurses about student health (Quinn & Serna, 2019), school nurses can make valuable contributions as school teams create student accommodation plans. School nurse respondents reported that collaboration on interprofessional teams for at-risk students was important (importance rating 3.46) and performed often (frequency rating 3.0).…”

Initial Validation of GRASP: A Differential Diagnoses Algorithm for Children With Medical Complexity and an Unknown Source of Pain

“…There is a need for education for providers regarding evaluating and treating pain in children with MC. 15,[33][34][35][36] Pain education, in general, is limited for health care providers across specialties and disciplines. [37][38][39][40][41] Supervising clinicians may use the GRASP to help trainees gain knowledge and skills in identifying sources of pain in children with MC.…”

Pain Assessment Approaches for Students With Intellectual Disability

“…Their caregivers spend every day with them, almost doing a continuous assessment to meet the child's needs. Caregivers can include parents, teachers, and other professionals who often have an intuitive sense about a child's pain and will instinctively know where the pain is Quinn & Serna, 2019). By gaining parental input, nurses will be able to adequately manage the pain of their students.…”