Autistic perspective

After trying many coping mechanisms throughout my life, it finally got easier to go the dentist when I was in my twenties. So I want to share some of what I learned to help other autistic people. For the dentist: It would be nice if you could provide noise cancelling headphones or allow them. Almost every noise in the dentist office is unfamiliar, unpleasant and sometimes scary. The sounds can hurt more than anything you do in the mouth. Headphones would help and then we could work on hand signals so we can communicate when you need me to take them off. Every dentist should give out squish balls ahead of the visit. They are a good stress reliever and something to focus on instead of what you are doing. For dental staff and other patients at the dentist: If you see someone who might be walking back and forth, flapping their hands or putting their hands over their ears which are common for people with autism, please keep in mind that they are not doing those behaviors to try to scare people and that those are not scary behaviors. They are doing those behaviors as a coping mechanism for different things that are external in their environment.

For fellow autistic people who do not like the dentist: Learn breathing techniques so you can do them during the appointments.

Practice meditation. I do some meditation before I go but you can meditate any time during the visit.

Put it into perspective. One thing I would say would be to keep in mind that you only go to the dentist once every 6 months and it’s only for a half an hour to an hour. So in a year, that is only one to two hours of your whole year.

Reward yourself for getting through your appointment and scheduling your next one.

Sean is a self-advocate and a member of California’s Statewide Self Advocacy Network, part of the State Council on Developmental Disabilities as the Orange County representative. His mission is to help other people with autism and to inspire people.