Kids with developmental disabilities may be more likely to experience chronic pain

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2026-03-31 02:00

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Chinese and US scientists say kids with developmental disabilities may be more likely to experience chronic pain than children without a disability, especially those from poorer backgrounds. The team looked at chronic pain, as reported by parents, in 263,168 US children aged between three and 17, around one-in-five of whom had at least one of 10 different developmental disabilities, including autism, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), intellectual and/or learning disability, and developmental delay. Chronic pain was reported by 13.2% of parents with a disabled child, but only by 5.5% of parents of non-disabled children. The parents most likely to report chronic pain in their kids were those with lower education levels and household incomes, and those who had experienced trauma as children themselves. The findings suggest kids with developmental disabilities from poorer backgrounds may be at a particularly high risk of chronic pain, and screening should target this group so help can be accessed early, the scientists conclude.