Mental Preparation for Your Child's Doctor Appointment PRINT THIS AND TAKE IT WITH YOU !!!
Many parents of children with Autism, ASD, ADHD or related disorders,
know more about the particular disorder than many physicians. This is due to the hundreds of hours you have spent learning to understand the condition and it's effects on your life. But you may not find your doctor receptive to your knowledge. Parents often feel that their expertise about their children is overlooked or discounted. Because of this, many parents become frustrated with the physician and may not get the best care for their children. Hopefully that is changing, with the ever growing number of children effected, our nations doctors are being educated to what was once a rare condition. More and more medical professionals are learning to listen to parent's expertise about their children in an area that they find themselves somewhat uninformed or under informed.
Preparing yourself ahead of time can put you in a more comfortable situation. Using the steps below to establish a good dialog with your child's doctor, can help you be a more effective advocate for your child.
Learn to be assertive, (which is very different from aggressive). Assertiveness is being direct, but not rude.
It is expressing your feelings and ideas in a fair and timely manner.
Speaking out for what you think that your child might need, (even if some medical professionals may disagree).
• Be mindful of your facial expressions and body language.
• Keep your voice firm, but positive.
• Maintain eye contact.
• Listen...and repeat what you understood the doctor to say.
• Be informed and prepared and ask questions for clarification.
• Consult your prepared notes in order to stay focused on one issue at a time.
• Write down your questions.
• keep a log of the tests performed, the results and treatments your child receives.
• Ask questions when you are unsure of certain meds, procedures or why your child needs them.
• Remember that you are a member of your child's health care team.
