Coping With Medical Appointments

Taking a child with Asperger Syndrome to all the medical appointments, neurological assessments, psychiatric evaluations and dental appointments is a challenge to many parents. I am only now realising how truly difficult these appointments are for my son. Before we received the diagnosis of Asperger Syndrome, I thought he was just being ornery or obnoxious because he just didn't like going to appointments.

These are difficult situations for children with Asperger Syndrome because all the sensory issues, communication and social difficulties come into play. The room where he is examined is usually cold, there is canned music and the person examining him is often a complete stranger, rushing around, asking rapid fire questions one after the other. Having taught my son not to speak to strangers at a young age, my son applies that rule to every stranger he meets until I encourage him to answer the doctor or dentist back. He will not go into a room with a doctor or dentist by himself, preferring to have me there. This gets me some funny looks from the nurses.

The last few times that I have taken my son to the doctor, he complained about being a "lab rat". The very last time I took him, he refused to take off his pants so that the doctor could look at his stretch marks. Even though I had explained to my son that the doctor wanted to look at the stretch marks because he thought it might have something to do with his persistant muscle weakness, my son absolutely refused to be accommodating. I must admit that the doctor was very creative, pulling up the pant legs to look at his knees and getting me to describe the stretch marks on his hips. However, as we left the office, my son informed me that he would never let another doctor look at his body. He is 12 years old now and becoming very modest.

After reading an article last week about how difficult it was for an adult with Asperger Syndrome to change her regular doctor, I began to appreciate the fact that these medical appointments cause my son great distress. These are environments that I cannot manage to modify for him, however, there are a few ways in which I can try to alleviate his distress. Taking his earplugs with us will alleviate the sound issue. Taking his bathrobe will keep him warm (where is it written that we have to be totally naked under that sheet anyway?) and taking along his silly putty serves a couple of purposes - keeping him from being bored and it can be a good "ice breaker" to a conversation with the doctor. We may get some "funny looks" from the nurses, but what is more important at these medical appointments - my son's comfort level or their opinion?

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