We talk About Autism.

Jeanne had her teeth cleaned last week. CUE THE FANFARE! Break out the confetti. She made it through a whole appointment for the first time in nearly 2 years!

Smiles in Motion in Chippewa Falls, WI specifically, has been a wonderful partner for Jeanne’s dentistry. Jeanne can let some stress go by playing before and after an appointment. We’ve also appreciated quite a few practice sessions and talking about her needs before even scheduling a full appointment. We’ve also ended appointments smack in the middle when Jeanne became uncomfortable.

Last week’s appointment was supposed to be a practice session for learning about using gas during an appointment to see if that would help us be more successful. Jeanne was doing so well I asked that we turn everything on and go with it!

Practice. Expectations. More practice. Not too early, but not too late. We need to be delicate and direct when talking about doctor and dentist visits. Any new scenario really. Jeanne will fixate on something if we tell her too far in advance, but also panic if we do not give her enough time and practice or ask questions before an appointment.

We check out non-fiction and fiction books from the library. We answer questions. Then we practice and finally, give it a try.

We did not make it through full appointments many times before last week. In fact, Jeanne started the appointment by hiding in the slide and then running down and around the halls as patients were having their teeth cleaned. Jeanne hide behind a hygienist preparing for an appointment. BUT she made it in the end.

There is more than one way. We are our own advocates and that starts with asking for what we need.

We did make it into a private, quiet room, where we talked about the mask and hose that worked like her asthmas inhaler. I even put it on my face. We added some minty polishing past into the nose piece so it wasn’t “SO STINKY!” as Jeanne said. Jeanne practiced her Brody the Lion breaths and began to relax.

The hygienist followed my lead and slowed things down and talked about what we were going to do before, not while, we did whatever it was.

In many settings, some professionals simply start touching a kid, or placing instruments on them, grab a child’s hand and start walking, or touching a child’s chin to tip their head back, move their hair out of their face, or put a stethoscope on them, etc. Not out of aggression or intention, our culture moves fast and has expectations and can be taken aback when we need a different approach.

When we were in the office, Jeanne was nervous about the tools arranged and worried about laying down. So we took things slow, Jeanne even sprayed the water tool a few times. Naughty! But you know what, then she gradually took it all on. She did it.

The Smiles In Motion team slowed down, talked, answered questions, lead the way but also took suggestions. An amazing team! The hygienist even let Jeanne put Jeanne’s hand on her hand while using a tool. Empowering Jeanne, praising Jeanne.

I cried and told them why I was crying. We celebrated with Jeanne! I took Jeanne to ice cream after the doc cleared her for eating, and you know what? Jeanne kept asking when we were going to go back for more. I got to praise Jeanne a second or third time and say “GIRL YOU DID IT. That was the whole appointment. That is what we will do nearly every time! You did it!”

For every singular typical appointment for a neurotypical child, for our family, we require at least 3. This success may seem small, but this trip to the dentist was joyous, amazing, breath taking, full of hope.

And then I cried a little more while we splurged for the chocolate covered, sprinkle waffle cone at Olson’s Ice Cream in Chippewa. Our celebration staple. Thank you Smiles in Motion and Dr. Winn!