DisDAT is a tool designed specifically to determine levels of contentment and distress in people unable to communicate verbally. Emma Cooper describes its use with a man who had a learning disability and advanced dementia

This article focuses on the Disability Distress Assessment Tool, also known as the DisDAT. The DisDAT is designed to recognise signs of contentment and distress in clients who have little or no verbal communication due to disability or illness. It assesses facial signs, appearance, habits, mannerisms and other non-verbal indicators of contentment, and contrasts these cues with the signs the client exhibits when distressed.