Doctor’s Office Visits

Note the happy picture from the waiting room, not a screaming picture of the vaccination in progress.  Just keeping the journal positive, as per usual.

Your child with special needs will likely spend more time at the doctor’s office than your average kid. Having coping strategies for these appointments is very important.

A Few Helpful Ideas

First, before you even start off for the appointment, keep some notes about concerns, thoughts, changes since the last visit. This way, you will go to the visit with a written list of your questions and thoughts and you’ll use the time with the doctor well.

On the day of the appointment, start by having a positive attitude, especially when your child cannot. Log in online ahead of time if you can, get there a few minutes early, and bring a familiar quiet, calming toy. Before you get out of the car, take a minute to gather yourself and anything you need for the appointment. Take a deep breath and get yourself ready to be your child’s support system.

Get to know the members of your doctor’s team and let them get to know you.  Even if you are guarded about your child’s diagnosis with others, these are the people to let in. Be open about challenges as well as successes. I promise you, whatever you need to tell them, they have heard it before.  They are a vital resource, but they can only help you as much as you let them. 

Sing, play, bring distractions.  You’ll likely need to pay attention to the doctor, so bring something your child can do on their own, even if it is a snack (think school safe snacks that do not contain common allergens, just in case another kid in the office has allergies). For us, we sometimes chose to bring another adult like my husband or my mom so that one of us could hang out with my son while the other attended to the doctor. Some doctors will also let you make separate ‘consultation’ appointments. You can go when your child is in school or day care and devote your full attention to the doctor and getting questions answered. Finally, many doctor’s offices have online portals now where you can ask something you forgot or follow-up on advice they gave you.

Cold Spray?

Some doctor’s offices offer a numbing spray before the vaccines. My typical son likes it since it numbs the pain of the injection.  For Michael, the nurse might as well be using a blow torch on him. He HATES it!  His sensory issues make the cold spray a traumatic experience. He’d much rather just get his injection and be done with it.

Numbing Patch?

For blood draws, there are numbing patches available at the pharmacy if it is right for your child. Ask your doctor if it is okay to apply it to the area on the inside of their elbow where the blood will be drawn (and ask how long before the appointment you should do this). It numbs the area so that by the time they insert the needle for the blood draw, your child doesn’t feel a thing.  For kids like ours who need to be okay with frequent trips to the doctor’s office, I would ask your doctor about this easy way to make blood draws go more smoothly. Please don’t do anything without consulting the doctor…only they know your child and what would be medically appropriate.

Great Job!!

Right after the appointment, reward your child with something they love! Do you have time for a trip to the playground? If it was a busy day, can you afford to grab a quick take-out dinner on the way home from a restaurant they like? Even a pack of stickers stashed at the bottom of your bag can serve as a great on-the-go reward.  Remember that especially for kids with cognitive delays, we need to connect their helpful behavior with a reinforcer to keep reminding them that they are doing great!

Big Ideas on Doctor Visits

1. Plan ahead to make it as easy as possible
2. Exude calmness and positivity
3. Reward good behavior with lots of positive reinforcement