Survey reveals that pain is common in children with ASD

Children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are twice as likely as other children to experience pain, according to a new study. 

Daniel Whitney and Danielle Shapiro analyzed data from the 2016-2017 National Survey of Children’s Health. The data was collected from the parents of nearly 1,200 children with ASD, more than 300 children with ASD and at least one developmental comorbidity, and nearly 49,000 other children. 

The researchers report that the prevalence of pain was 8.2% for children without ASD, 15.6% for children with ASD, and 19.9% for children with ASD and at least one developmental comorbidity. They say, “These findings may be due to several factors, including underlying sensory sensitivities, comorbidity of conditions associated with pain (e.g., cerebral palsy, genetic syndromes impacting gastrointestinal and other systems), and, by extension, a higher frequency of medical procedures that can lead to short-term or long-term pain.” 

Shapiro notes that children with ASD may react to pain by becoming irritable or exhibiting behavior problems. “A sudden, otherwise unexplained change in behavior is a good clue that something physical, like pain, may be a factor,” she says. 

Whitney and Shapiro say their findings suggest the need for better awareness of pain in individuals with ASD, better methods for assessing it, and the incorporation of pain management as part of regular therapy for children with ASD.

Citations

“National prevalence of pain among children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders” (letter), Daniel G. Whitney and Danielle N. Shapiro, JAMA Pediatrics, October 28, 2019 (online). Address: Daniel G. Whitney, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan, 325 E. Eisenhower Pkwy, Ann Arbor, MI 48108, [email protected].

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 “Kids with autism are twice as likely to experience pain,” Steven Reinberg, HealthDay News, October 28, 2019.