I'm not a big fan of pain.
I mean, I'd much rather enjoy a foot massage and a nice glass of rioja than endure a headache. Pain stops us in our tracks and demands immediate attention. It's not much fun and, well, it hurts.
But humans would probably have become extinct a long time ago if we didn't experience pain. If a cut on our shin didn't bother us, we'd ignore it and an infection may kill us. We avoid food that may poison us because it gives us stomach ache. We go to great lengths to avoid illness and injury because we don't like pain. So pain is usually protective, like an unwelcome internal alarm system that lets us know when something is wrong.
Recently, Finian tripped and hit his face off the table. It was awful. He was bruised, swollen and he screamed blue murder. He looked like he came out the wrong end of a disagreement with a bag of hammers. I was horrified that he was hurt. But I was glad he experienced pain.
Finian is able to sense pain and tell me where it is. If he had appendicitis he'd be able to point to the area and say it hurts. If he was having a heart attack, chest pain would urge him to seek help. If he had a leg ulcer, the pain would drive him to get it seen to before he got gangrene.
Some autistic people lack this ability and have a sensory dysfunction that leads them to have a reduced perception of pain. They could quite literally die because they don't experience pain. This can be complicated by cognitive and communication difficulties.
So when Finian attempted to shatter the sound barrier with his screams, I was horrified.... but also glad that he could let me know he hurt.
Autism pushes parents to consider strange paradoxes. It's not a comfortable place to be, but it is certainly thought provoking.
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