Shashini Mohan, a senior at Brecksville-Broadview Heights High School has come up with a new way to help nonverbal and autistic children communicate using the P.E.A.C.E Scale.
The P.E.A.C.E stands for Pain Expression and Communication Evaluation Scale. Shashini’s website describes the P.E.A.C.E Scale as, “a sensory-friendly pain communication tool thoughtfully designed to empower nonverbal and autistic children to express their pain clearly, comfortably, and with dignity, bridging the gap between silence and care in clinical settings.”
Mohan made a promise to herself. She states, “I was just 8-years-old and met a young autistic girl. I remember the moment vividly; she looked at me and smiled for the very first time. That small gesture made a lasting impression, and from that day forward, I silently promised myself that I would do something meaningful to support children like her.”
Fast forward and Mohan has a life changing experience. In the emergency room she’s unable to communicate. The doctors ask her questions, but she can’t respond. She had realized that if this is how she felt then imagine how children who are autistic and nonverbal feel.
This led to the P.E.A.C.E Scale. invention. This invention didn’t just happen in a short period of time. Mohan states,”I did a bunch of research on the needs of autistic and nonverbal children and put that together to see what was wrong with the Wong-Baker Faces Scale.”
Mohan states, “I would like for the P.E.A.C.E Scale. to be in health care facilities just like the Wong-Baker faces. I believe that the Wong-Baker face scale works, but everybody has different needs. For me personally, the Wong-Baker face scale doesn’t work, but for someone else it might.”
Shashini has given a new way to make communication with autistic and nonverbal children easier. This invention will hopefully make a positive change in the medical care system and improve the needs of the autistic and nonverbal children when they are in need of help.
