Physical symptoms that are medically unexplained

Provisions and/or strategies:

• Use activities that are stress reducing e.g. games, dance, colouring, gardening, animals, forest school.
• Monitor to see whether the symptom is persistent.
• Keep a log and analyse pattern or trends to identify triggers. Follow school / setting procedures and speak to the SENCO, health visitor or safeguarding lead regarding your concerns if issue persists.
• Remember that pain can affect children and young people in many ways. Autistic children and those who have social communication differences or have experienced trauma may experience pain in different ways to people who are neurotypical.

Soiling: consider the causes for soiling too, these could be due to:

• Development – exploring the sensation.
• Sensory stimulus – the pupil likes the feel.
• Not being toilet trained.
• Abuse.