thank you Jo - thats really helpful. Great idea and essentially pretty simple! Thank you!

Thanks @esadler - i will have a look at spoon theory and see what i can find.

Hi,

I can't think of any resources as such, but this sounds as though it may have been based on spoon theory, so reading up on that may help. If you've not come across it, it was first used to explain chronic pain but can be a good way to think about it in general (But You Dont Look Sick? support for those with invisible illness or chronic illness The Spoon Theory written by Christine Miserandino - But You Dont Look Sick? support for those with invisible illness or chronic illness)

As an adult with chronic pain I have done a couple of courses on pain management and pacing is absolutely central to me keeping things under control and manageable. Neither course I did had any specific resources that I recall, it was more about each of us finding systems that suited our own circumstances. I have found spoon theory a useful tool to explain to others how life needs to work for me (although I've only shared it with a few people) and also a useful way for me to think about energy levels and judge what I can cope with and what I need (it doesn't have to be spoons, that is just what the first person used!)

Not sure if that helps at all?

Emma

That's a lovely idea!!

I guess it partly depends on their awareness of pain and the terminology to use / all are happy to use.

I have used images e.g. battery images  (are you low/medium/high),  body scanning images (where is it in your body) and adapting the 5 point scale co -produced with the pupil for strategies they might take e.g . "I can see you are a yellow/are you a yellow? where are you at?....do you want to do something yellow e.g. rest area/read book/movement  break/sensory room/blow bubbles/go outside"

But I like yours as it's very practical/visual/potentially empowering (?) Kate

Hi Steve,

Thanks for starting this conversation - I've heard about the spoons theory, but never read it in full - so thanks for sharing it Emma.

I really like the pacing resources from  Stickman Communications - the home of differently normal.

Hannah - is a brilliant artist and the stickman figures explain so much that words just don't do justice to. There is a poster and explanation cards and I've worked on them with schools / parents / who have taken them on - building up lists of Red, Amber, Green activities. (Although the red activities are the hardest in comparison to Jo's example). There are resources for hypermobility, Autism, POTS, EDS etc

One thing which is essential is to have a shared understanding of what the language of fatigue / pain is - so e.g. a scale of 1 - 10 can be helpful, but only if everyone - especially the young person knows what each level means.

All the best

Jenny