Pain in Children and Adults with Developmental Disabilities

For clinicians, recognizing and correctly interpreting any patient's expression of pain is a challenge — but a necessity for timely and appropriate health care. If that patient has a developmental disability and self-report is unavailable, that challenge is magnified. That's why every clinician needs this landmark volume. The first to synthesize research about this critical topic, this book will help ensure that healthcare professionals are better prepared to assess and manage pain in children and adults with a range of disabilities. International experts cover quality of life concerns, health care issues, and best practices in pain management for individuals from infancy through adulthood, giving readers up-to-date information on

• the functional impact of pain on a person's quality of life
• how pain might instigate or intensify challenging behavior
• issues surrounding pharmacological treatment of pain, such as selecting medication, considering adverse interactions with other medications, and monitoring effects
• neurobiological and neuropsychological processes involved in pain
• current epidemiological research on pain in individuals with disabilities
• pain in people with specific developmental disabilities: motor disorders, cognitive impairments, social/emotional impairments, and other neurological disorders
• current assessment strategies and technologies
• challenges in pharmacological management of pain
• the future of pain management in research, policy, and practice