GP experience for autistic son

briancharles5612

Just wanted to see if I’m not overreacting to this. Took my son to see the Dr today for an ear exam, he’s 3. I explained that he was autistic before the exam, the Dr said he still needed the exam and no alternate strategies offered.

I had my boy viced as best I could. I was instructed to put one arm around his arms and the other on his head. He screamed and wriggled furiously. It was horrible as the Dr was telling me to do better. They just about got an exam and told me that was the most my boy “would let them do”. I remember his audiologist saying you don’t want to traumatise him so much the next Dr won’t be able to examine him. This Dr definitely didn’t believe that.

I was also told, as he needed a referral elsewhere, that he would be noted as being difficult to examine during this appointment and all 3 year olds dislike their ears being examined. I felt that was the typical autism gives him no special needs comment.

i left feeling like an awful parent and my boy was seen as troublesome by them.

Am I being unfair?

Cressida

Sorry to hear you had such a bad experience. I think GPs are under a lot of pressure to get patients in and out within a certain timescale and I'm not sure what alternative strategy they could have used? Some GPs are better than others with small children but unfortunately nowadays you cannot chose which GP you want to see. You are not a bad parent and I'm sure he wasn't seen as troublesome. The fact that they are noting the difficulty with examining him is a good thing. It will give the consultant prior notice to put things in place. 

woodbine

You could discuss your concerns with the practice manager and see what he/she has to say, maybe they have a GP at the practice who is better with children, or you could find another surgery?