I'm going to write a thread on the way #autistic people per…

For some #autistic people, what neurotypicals might interpret as mild pain actually feels like sensory hell. Some autistic people are really sensitive to pain. #autism /2

It's important that medical professionals understand this. Even if they think that it's mild pain, it's actual sensory hell for the #autistic person.#autism /3

Medical professionals shouldn't accuse #autistic people of being "silly" or being "extra" if they are sensitive to pain. This has happened to me before. Medical professionals shouldn't invalidate the way autistic people perceive pain. #autism /4

Some medical professionals just don't have enough understanding of the way #autistic people perceive pain. I hope this thread will help them understand better. #autism /5

Sometimes, I feel like screaming when I have a headache or a tummy ache. People would then accuse me of overreacting. But they don't understand that this is the way the pain feels like for me. #autism /6

No one has the right to dictate how an #autistic person should react to the pain that they're in. Saying "bear the pain" won't help them. #autism /7

Going to now talk about sensory distractions which maybe a good technique to support #autistic people who are struggling to cope with pain. I know that if I'm listening to my favourite train sounds, the pain is still there but it becomes more bearable. #autism /8

You can help #autistic people who are struggling to cope with pain by encouraging them to engage in the things which are sensory soothing for them (e.g. fidget toys or nice music). This will act as a distraction and may help the pain feel more bearable. #autism /9

I'm now going to talk about the other extreme when it comes to the way #autistic people perceive pain. Some autistic people are relatively insensitive to pain. #autism /10

This means that some #autistic people may not complain at all even if they're in the most intense pain. #autism /11

This may make it harder to identify when the #autistic person is in pain and when they aren't in pain. #autism /12

I'm now going to talk about the way some sensory environments can mean that #autistic people feel like they're physically in pain. #autism /13

For me, when multiple people are talking loudly over each other, I can feel an unbearable headache and completely dizzy. #autism /14

Even some foods can make some #autistic people feel like they're physically in pain. If I eat something that is too sour, I can feel an unbearable headache. #autism /15

Feeling unbearable pain can be a trigger for meltdowns in some #autistic people. #autism /16

There's a lot to learn from this thread but if there's 1 thing I would like you to take away from this thread, it would be don't be judgemental on the way #autistic people perceive their pain. It's not your pain so you don't have a say on how they should perceive it. #autism /17

I hope you found this thread helpful to learn about the way #autistic people perceive pain. #autism /18