Recurrent abdominal pain.
Treat recurrent stomach pain by measuring daily function and teaching the child and family what the pain means.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Eisenhower et al. (2006) wrote a narrative review about kids who keep getting stomach pain with no clear medical cause.
They pulled together every behavioral way to assess and treat this pain. No new experiment—just a map of what exists.
What they found
The review says the best target is daily life: going to school, eating, sleeping, playing.
Plans must teach the child and family about pain, then build small wins back into each day.
How this fits with other research
DaWalt et al. (2025) looked at autistic adults and list stomach pain as a hidden sign of constipation. Their paper folds Eisenhower et al. (2006) inside its scope, so the old kid-focused ideas now stretch to grown-ups on the spectrum.
Stagnone et al. (2025) show that adults with profound autism rarely say “it hurts.” Instead they get irritable or point to body parts. This matches A et al.’s call to watch function, not just words.
Matson et al. (2009) reviewed rituals in developmental disabilities and also complained that good behavioral plans are scarce. Both papers agree: we have frameworks, but we still need more tested packages.
Why it matters
Next time a learner says “my tummy hurts” or just holds his belly, don’t stop at medical tests. Track school attendance, meal bites, and sleep hours. Write a plan that teaches what safe pain feels like and rewards each step back to class. You will turn a vague complaint into clear data and faster recovery.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
The purpose of this article is to provide an empirically informed but clinically oriented overview of behavioral treatment of recurrent abdominal pain. The epidemiology and scope of recurrent abdominal pain are presented. Referral process and procedures are discussed, and standardized approaches to assessment are summarized. Treatment protocols developed by Sanders and colleagues and by Finney and colleagues are described, followed by a review of treatment efficacy. The article concludes with practice recommendations that emphasize the importance of reassurance and education, appropriate and realistic treatment goals, the child's daily functional status, and treatment plans tailored to match the child and family's presentation.
Behavior modification, 2006 · doi:10.1177/0145445505282439