Basic Needs and Pain Communication Board
Toilet, water, food, medicine and where it hurts, each with a real photo. Yes and No on top. Print it free for home, a care home or the hospital, or change any cell.
- 20 cells
- Free printable PDF
- Editable in browser
Yes
Toilet
Water
No
Food
Medicine
Head Hurts
Stomach Hurts
Cold
Blanket
Sleep
Tissues
Stop
More
Pain Is Worse
Pain Is Better
I Need a Minute
It's Not on My Board
Try Again
That's Wrong
Some needs cannot wait: the toilet, a drink, pain that is getting worse. When speech is hard, those are the messages that matter most, and a basic needs board puts them in one place to point to.
This board keeps to 20 cells so each one is big enough to point at. Yes and No sit in the top corners with a thick green and red border, then food, drink, toilet, sleep and medicine, then pain by where it is and whether it is getting worse or better.
Every picture is a real photo of an adult. It suits an autistic adult who does not speak, someone with dementia or after a stroke, and anyone too unwell to talk for a while.
Nothing left to prepare. Three finished sets, $4 each, and every page prints exactly as it is.
When to Use This Board
Use it at home, in supported living or a care home, or in the hospital for an adult who cannot always say what they need, and for carers who need a quick yes or no.
How to Customize This Board
- Add the places pain shows up most for this person, such as Back Hurts or Teeth Hurt.
- Change Food and Water to their own favorite drink and snack.
- Keep a copy by the bed and one in the bathroom or kitchen.
- Pick Black and White for a cheaper print; Yes and No keep their thicker border.
Take this further with Beacon
Not sure which words a board needs? Beacon suggests a starting set for home, work or out in the community.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What are basic needs on a communication board?
- The things a person needs during the day and cannot go without: toilet, water, food, medicine, rest, warmth and help with pain. Yes and No let them answer any other question.
- How can someone show how much it hurts?
- Point to where it hurts (head or stomach), then to Pain Is Worse or Pain Is Better. A carer can ask yes or no questions from there.
- Who is this board for?
- Adults who cannot always speak: autistic adults who are nonspeaking, people with dementia, aphasia after a stroke, or anyone very unwell. The photos show adults, not cartoons.
- Can I add more cells?
- Yes. Open it in the maker and pick a bigger board size, then add your own words and photos.
- Can I change the photos to look like me?
- Yes. Use the Figure toggle to show a male or a female, and use the Skin tone toggle to show the hands in a light or dark skin tone. The preview, the printable and the PDF all match. In the maker you can also swap any photo for one of your own.
Related Boards
Hospital Communication Board
Yes, no, pain, water, the nurse: a photo board for a patient who cannot speak.
Feelings Board for Adults
Happy, sad, worried, overwhelmed: adult feelings to point to when words are hard.
Stroke Communication Board
Yes, no, pain, water and phrases that buy time: a photo board for life after a stroke.