At times, it baffles me. Just how little Autism has truly seemed to touch the world of medicine.
The world of medical professionals.

I said to my mama friends, “It’s like Autism is skipped over in med school and forgotten.” There’s no “Autism Spectrum Disorder” notes day.
Now of course, it goes without saying that there are SO many that are well educated (as far as current info goes) in this world of Autism that we walk in.
(I’m never saying “all” because that is simply not the case).
But it seems as though we have encountered more of the latter, in our short time, thus far.

Examples you ask? But of course!

Upon preparing ourselves for a dreaded “Covid-19” test for Beckett (which he didn’t end up getting, thankfully), we had to first prepare for simply ENTERING THE BUILDING.

What’s so hard about that?

Welp, a 5 year-old boy with the strength of an ox, and the persistence of just that, a 5 year-old, is not going to willingly walk into a doctors office to be poked and prodded. Now add The Spectrum to that combination.
We aren’t getting in the door without a wrestling match.

And due to being in a worldwide pandemic, only 1 parent is allowed to accompany said “ox child” inside.

Dad drew the short stick.
…There was only one stick, folks.

We called the nurse, as prompted on a giant banner outside the office, and this was the conversation in a nutshell:

1. Listed Symptoms
2. Mentioned mask sensory issues
3. Mentioned Autism & likelihood of Beckett not understanding what is happening or the necessity of it all
4. Advised office of extra assistance most likely necessary during the appointment.

And after hearing me thoroughly explain that my child would not currently wear a mask more than the 5 feet from the vehicle, the nurse replied with:

“well… can’t you just put a blanket over his head and carry him in, like we do with the little ones?”

My end of the line was silent for a moment. Then I took a breath, and responded as best I could. Without jumping directly on my ASD Mama Bear soap box.
…”No ma’am. That’s not going to work. But you’re willing to come try it if you’d like.”

Her turn for a moment of silence. Then she replied “okay. Well usually once they have a chance to talk to the nurse and they warm up, they don’t have a problem.”

I think she may have forgotten the first 10 minutes where we (Husband was on speaker phone with me) explained that our child is Nonverbal, etc.

I KINDLY respond again, “No ma’am. He is nonverbal so he won’t be able to communicate with the nurse verbally. And he may not understand or comply with commands.”

She came back with a brief “we will have to work around it then”. It was then that I wasn’t sure if she meant the Autism, or the mask dilemma.

The appointment went as I had anticipated, with a screaming Beckett, wrestling Dad like an Ox, hollering at being poked and propped. And a frustrated husband that couldnt properly be the messenger, and report back after, as he could only HEAR half the information.
Kid’s got some lungs!

But I can tell you one thing, I thought long and hard all the way home about how to write an educational letter to the office itself. I believe they may have a “professional” in their payroll that could benefit from a course on ASD, and a snuggle session with our little miracle man.

That’s why we are here. That’s why we do this.
…The more you know.