Children under 4 years of age can often tell us that they are hurting. However, they usually cannot say how much pain they feel. Over 4 years of age, children can often say how they feel by using the Poker Chip method. The child is asked how many pieces of hurt he or she has. For children over 5 years of age, drawings of pain faces are often best.
Children point to a face on the scale that matches how they feel.
The child should be trained by asking how he or she would feel following some minor pain. The child is asked about how much a more serious pain would hurt. Children may also be less active and sleep or eat less than usual. A child can have pain and not show it. Some pains that are short and sharp, like needle pain, cause more change in behavior.