Prevalence, Expression, Assessment, Mechanisms, and Management of Pai…
Published May 9, 2026
A systematic review of pain research in autistic children, finding major gaps in assessment and treatment evidence.
<p><em>This systematic review examined pain research in autistic children. It included 26 studies from 5,603 citations, but only three treatment studies and one study using self-report assessment.</em></p><p><em>Evidence on pain assessment and treatment remains limited. The review does not show that pain is simply an autism feature or support broad claims about atypical pain sensitivity.</em></p><p><em>New, severe, or persistent pain needs ordinary clinical assessment. Support should include accessible communication and individualized ways for a child to report discomfort.</em></p><p><em>Source: Garriga-Cazorla et al. “Prevalence, Expression, Assessment, Mechanisms, and Management of Pain in Autistic Children: A Scoping Review.” Clinical Journal of Pain. 2025;41(8):e1296. </em><a target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://doi.org/10.1097/AJP.0000000000001296"><em>https://doi.org/10.1097/AJP.0000000000001296</em></a><em> (PMID: 40439082).</em></p>