Pain and Autism: From the Clinic to the Lab and Back Again

This webinar - held on 12 September 2023 - was produced by the International Association for the Study of Pain's Pain in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Special Interest Group (PIDDSIG).
                                                                              
There is a prevailing notion that autistic people are less sensitive to pain, yet there is a lack of empirical research to support this idea. This webinar described the clinical and anecdotal reasons for these assumptions and explored what current research into the pain experience for autistic people tells us.

The participants discussed work regarding pain psychophysics and brain imaging, as well as qualitative and mixed methods studies which place autistic peoples’ voices at the heart of its work and helps us gain insight into the experience of pain for autistic children and adults.

They also examined how autism-related differences may impact pain expression, assessment, and treatment. Throughout the webinar, there was a focus on the future and how we can address the problem of persistent and mismanaged pain for autistic people, including considerations of some of the core gaps in knowledge.

Participants included:

• David Moore, PhD, Liverpool John Moores University, UK
• Michelle Failla, PhD, The Ohio State University, USA
• Bethany Donaghy, Liverpool John Moores University, UK (moderator)