During this doctor visit, we allowed Michael to engage in one of his favorite activities: water play

During this doctor visit, we allowed Michael to engage in one of his favorite activities: water play with the sink. Generally, I don’t allow Michael to get into the habit of touching anything he finds interesting, especially when we are in public or private spaces like other people's homes or businesses. This is to ensure we consistently reinforce the understanding that not everything is meant to be touched or played with, maintaining respect for boundaries and other people’s property. But this doctor visit was preventable and completely unnecessary. They had us come in despite knowing they could not provide the services we were seeking 👉🏻details shared in my Subscribers’ Page {Searching for Pediatrician Part 1} 👑. While this visit ended up being frustrating, we made the most of the time by engaging in skill practices that encouraged active listening, following instructions, engagement, patience and expanding his communication skills. It certainly wasn’t the best use of our money, as we did not get the outcome we were led to believe we were coming in for. This experience was the final straw, confirming that this doctor’s office isn’t a good fit for us. It's time to search for other options. The lack of communication, disregard for scheduled appointment times, and dismissive care are clear indicators that there is something fundamentally wrong with how healthcare is being delivered. But this isn't just about a single experience; it's been a consistent issue throughout our entire healthcare experiences -from the moment I was pregnant to his birth, to his diagnosis, and, simply trying to get proactive, preventative healthcare. 📔eBook on Joint Attention & collection of activities, link in BIO 🔗 👑 The Full Mini-vlogs on our education, therapy and lifestyle approach on the Instagram Subscribers’ Page 👑 👉🏻 Frank and I always arrive early to appointments to be mindful of our scheduled time, but this often backfires, resulting in a much longer wait for Michael. Typically, we spend 30 minutes in the waiting room and then another 30 minutes in the designated room, only to receive 15 minutes of dismissive care. We accomplished absolutely nothing, and all I wanted was to get Michael tested for heavy metals-something they could have informed me they couldn’t do over the phone, when I scheduled the appointment. #heartwarming #cute #toddler #parenting #autism #ASL #signlanguage #nonspeaking #nonverbal #autismawareness #autismjourney #neurodivergent #parentingtips #representationmatters #cute #handsome #toddlermom #autismadvocate #autismparenting #parentingautism #communication #inspiration #motivation #milestones