Ever notice how the people that should have a basic understanding of the limitations autism can place on a child's ability to navigate the outside world often do not?
I'm not talking about the "model parents" rolling their eyes and shaking their heads when your child is having a meltdown a the supermarket, or even the 70 year old cashier who sneers "Doesn't he talk?" after her aggressive attempts at getting a response to grandmotherly questions is ignored. I'm talking about the surprising number of people in the medical and nursing field that seem to at best have a limited understanding of what to expect from the patient with autism.
It usually starts with the person asking him a question that is beyond his ability to understand and respond to. I then typically answer the question for Owen. When the expectations continue to go beyond what can reasonably be expected and I see his stress level rising, I tell them he has autism. More often than not, I'm reminding them he has autism (he's a frequent flyer, and it's in the chart!) Yet after explaining it, the problems tends to persist. I've recently taken to providing a short explanation of the difficulties associated with autism with improved results at subsequent visits.
My explanation usually goes like this: He has autism and has difficulty understanding and responding to complex sentences or instructions. He prefers to have less direct interaction with strangers until he gets used to them.
I know this is one of those things I have to just accept as coming with the territory and hope my explanations lessen the issue over time, but man is it irritating.
I'm not talking about the "model parents" rolling their eyes and shaking their heads when your child is having a meltdown a the supermarket, or even the 70 year old cashier who sneers "Doesn't he talk?" after her aggressive attempts at getting a response to grandmotherly questions is ignored. I'm talking about the surprising number of people in the medical and nursing field that seem to at best have a limited understanding of what to expect from the patient with autism.
It usually starts with the person asking him a question that is beyond his ability to understand and respond to. I then typically answer the question for Owen. When the expectations continue to go beyond what can reasonably be expected and I see his stress level rising, I tell them he has autism. More often than not, I'm reminding them he has autism (he's a frequent flyer, and it's in the chart!) Yet after explaining it, the problems tends to persist. I've recently taken to providing a short explanation of the difficulties associated with autism with improved results at subsequent visits.
My explanation usually goes like this: He has autism and has difficulty understanding and responding to complex sentences or instructions. He prefers to have less direct interaction with strangers until he gets used to them.
I know this is one of those things I have to just accept as coming with the territory and hope my explanations lessen the issue over time, but man is it irritating.
