AUTISM HEALTH
pending on your child’s personal needs, here
are some tips you can share with the dentist: • Use music for distraction and as calming
strategy.
• Don’t approach or touch my child without
informing him/her or asking permission. • Ask whether the sounds in the room could
be reduced.
• Be cognizant of my child’s intrapersonal
space. • Have the child wear a weighted vest or
carry a weighted bag.
• Speak slowly as information processing
takes time. Use simple and short sentenc-
es while communicating. • Bring a weighted blanket in the car to calm
the child.
• Use TheraBand or resistive tubes to stretch
the body after a check-up.
• Wobble cushion or wobble wedge can be
added to a dental chair with dentist’s sup-
port if the child feels comfortable having
it.
• Stress balls can help child to reduce stress
and anxiety in different settings.
•
•
Provide answers to all questions asked by
my child as not getting answers can create
anxiety and mental tension.
Tell my child what you will be doing. Show-
ing equipment to be used during the
check-up can help my child calm down
and stay relaxed.
3. Consider sensory strategies
Here are some great strategies for making your
child’s dentist visit a successful one:
•
Use headphones to block background
sounds.
4. Provide fidgets to reduce anxiety
Fidgets are the best source to keep the child
focused on a task. It helps reduce anxiety lev-
els, and keeps the child calm and his/her mind
diverted. Different fidgets can be used accord-
ing to developmental age groups: key chains,
Autism Parenting Magazine | Issue 65 |
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