Preparing autistic kids for medical appointments

For many young people, attending a medical appointment can feel very anxiety provoking and overwhelming. This can mean a routine appointment becomes a stressful and difficult experience for families, and can mean that professionals will struggle to build rapport with young people or to get all of the necessary information in the time available.

Here are some ideas of what clinical teams can do before appointment to help families to prepare, allowing appointments to go as well as possible:

• Consider quieter waiting spaces

• Offer the first or last appointment of the day, this reduces the chance of a busy waiting room or long wait, or could allow longer to explain information

• Share information about which staff the child is going to meet when they attend appointments, bonus points if you can share photos of the different staff members too!

• Send photos or more detailed information about the areas of the hospital a child will need to visit, or any procedures or tests they will need to complete

• Share clear information about what to expect on the day (including detailed information about any procedures, or any changes from previous visits)

Remember, we are all different and no two children or young people will have the exact same needs. Ask families what would help their young person to attend the appointment.