A tool to support non-verbal communication in the hospital for people with autistic spectrum disorders or stroke.
recognise, or no answer at all.
communication of ‘how much’ is a major issue. The use of other tools such as the Wong-Baker pain scale using facial expressions simply doesn’t fill the need of the autistic child.
Whatz-it has come from several years experience in special education in the UK and the problems with communicating difficult concepts such as pain, when the child is in a potentially stressful situation. Using a simple device like Whatz-it, supported with specific training for the child is a gateway to improved care and more accurate diagnosis and treatment.
Using a graduated colour scale from green to red allows selection of intensity rather than making a discrete choice and avoids the possibility and stress of selecting the ’right answer’.
Whatz-it comes with a set of eight magnetic tiles which can be easily picked up and placed on the slider. Customised symbols can be added by the user if required.
The contact surfaces and tiles are anti-microbial minimising cross infection. Whatz-it has been tested with a number of commercial hospital cleaning products.