Autism and dentist or other specialists

Post Reply New Topic

Should I tell my dentist and other specialists that I have autism when I have an appointment?

This is why:

I have trouble communicating with most medical practitioners because they don't have a lot of time for their patients. (I know they're paid pretty bad usually so they can't spent much time on a single patient.) When being asked questions, I often need some time to answer correctly. I'm also not used to their offices usually, meaning I'm not exactly calm.

Physical examinations often paint a wrong or incomplete picture as well. I momentarily feel to stressed to comment on whether something hurts and it's pretty useless to try to measure things such as my pulse or blood-sugar. My sensory processing goes haywire from being somewhere I'm not used to as well as having to answer social expectations I'm struggling to meet in those situations.

They most likely have no idea what it so, so I'd have to tell them "I am autistic which means that I..." But what to tell them?

Can I expect anything to change for the better if they knew?


I wish I'd be granted more time to answer or get time to prepare for their questions beforehand or (in an ideal dream world) would have the opportunity to get an idea of what's going to happen and how it feels like before it gets serious.

I don't even know whether they would be willing to though. If they got paid for such extra work, I'm sure most would jump at the chance.

My dentist especially is difficult to talk to (I never feel I get the chance to explain) and you hardly get around being touched while examined by a dentist anyway. But he does his work perfectly, so I don't want to change.

Anyone know what to do?


Maybe I should check with my insurance for whether there is anything like extra appointments in which the specialists explains to you what to do and starts treatment or testing, but may continue it in another appointment if it doesn't work out with my autistic behaviour? I bet there's nothing like this for people with "just" autism yet, but maybe for people with other psychiatric conditions such as MR?

I have the same probs and lately ive been needing to see a lot of specialists. Luckily i have a great doctor who will take her time with me. I need to book longer appointments. She will then write referral letters that state that i have autism but am intelligent and that i can be overwhelmed by drs appointments so care needs to be taken. Just that one sentence helps a lot but she also clearly explains the purpose of my visit. My experience has been that specialists still dont know what it means but if theyre good they will consider it. I dont know what to say when asked how it effects me. I say that it effects my interpersonal relations but i know tha that means little to them. The diagnosis means a lot to somepeople though like my doctor. She knows that i need famiiarity, that imeasily overwhelmed, need time to respond etc. She says it good that we are educating others about high fuctioning autism. So anyway, i definitely think it helps for professionals to know. Good luck:)