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Unigwe et al., (2017)1 rightly highlight that many GPs lack confidence in the diagnosis and management of autistic patients. GPs should however also be aware that autism can affect autistic peoples presentation when seeking care for unrelated conditions.
Here we highlight the importance of understanding altered sensory and perceptual processing when assessing pain in autistic patients.
Recent research suggests that many autistic people have altered responsivity to pain and altered perceptions of time.2-7 This includes hyposensitivity or hypersensitivity to pain,2-4 difficulties describing time-based information (e.g. how long something has lasted for) and difficulties managing time during daily-life.5-7 As patient ratings of pain intensity and pain duration are fundamental to clinical assessments of pain, failure to consider how autism may affect these may hinder accurate diagnosis and treatment.
When assessing and treating pain in autistic people, the following should therefore be considered.
- Autistic people may be at greater risk of pain related conditions or injury than neurotypical individuals and may therefore present more frequently.8
- Autistic people may exhibit atypical pain presentations due to altered pain experience. Pain may therefore be reported as greater or milder than would typically be expected. Indeed, some autistic pe...
Competing Interests: None declared.