Question

Karen is an autistic 12 year old female who arrives in the clinic with her mother. Her doctor has requested that she receive an abdomen x- ray. The diagnosis is rule out pain. 1. How would you communicate with this patient?

Answer 1

The various ways to communicate with autistic child as follows:

( * ) Try gestures and visual supports

( * ) Nod/shake your head for "yes" and "no". Wave your hand for "hello" and "goodbye".

( * ) While asking about pain show a photo of pain scale with facial expressions and ask softly to point out.

( * ) Other visual methods that can be used to increase understanding include picture timetables, line drawings, cue cards and object/picture schedules.

( * ) If Speaking Doesn’t Work, Try Writing!

( * ) If you get to sticking points in the conversation, try restating what you just said on paper. Draw a picture or write the words down and show them. ASD patients tend to think visually, so even if they don’t immediately understand what they just heard, they might get the same message if you put it on paper so they can see it.

( * ) Keep your sentences short and direct.