SPEAK OUT FOR UNDERSTANDING

SOMETHING THAT JUST CAME TO MIND OVER THIS FIASCO  WITH AKOTA BREAKING HIS LEG WAS MY INITIAL ENCOUNTER AT THE E.R.

ALTHOUGH I HATE TO IMAGINE THIS THE SIMPLE FACT IS OUR KIDS WILL END UP IN THE E.R. AS MUCH IF NOT MORE THAN THE TYPICAL CHILD AND WE NEED TO SPEAK UP FOR EDUCATION TOLERANCE AND UNDERSTAND ING IN THESE FACILITIES.

WHEN MY SON HIT THE E.R. THE FIRST THING HE WAS GREETED WITH WAS A NURSE AN R.N. WHO STARTED ASKING HIM TO RATE HIS PAIN. I IMMEDIATELY TOLD HIM THAT DAKOTA WAS AUTISTIC  AND  WOULD NOT PROBABLY RESPOND TO HIM FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS . EVEN IF HE DID UNDERSTAND THE CONCEPT HE HAD SUCH A HIGH TOLERANCE FOR PAIN THAT HE WOULDNT GET AN ACCURATE READ ANYWAY--NEVER THE LESS HE WAS SHOVED IN FRONT OF THE NURSES STATION AND LAID THERE FOR OVER AND HOUR AND A HALF BEFORE ANYONE REALLY PAID ANY ATTENTION TO HIM. WHEN IN ACTUALLITY HIS INJURY WAS SIGNIFICANT ENUF TO WARRANT IMMEDIATE ATTENTION. 

THE PURPOSE OF THIS EXERPT I TO URGE EVEYONE TO SPEAK OUT FOR ACCOMODATIONS FOR YOUR KIDS ESPECIALLY IN PLACES LIKE AN EMERGECY ROOM...... I CALLED KAISER MEMBERSHIP SERVICES AND GAVE THEM A EARFUL---I TOLD THEM THAT NO ONLY WERE THEY NEGLECTFUL FOR MAKING MY SON WAIT SO LONG THAT THE INITAL NURSE DIDNT HAVE A CLUE. THAT THIS HOSPITAL IN WHICH DAKOTA HAD BEEN BORN  HAS MADE ALL SORTS OF ACCOMDATIONS FOR HEARING AND SPEECH IMPAIRED,WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBILITY, PACE MAKER PATIENTS ,HELL THERES EVEN ACCOMODATIONS FOR SPANISH SPEAKING PEOPLE BUT HERE IS A CHILD BORN TO THEIR HOSPITAL FILLED FULL OF "PROFESSIONALS" WHO SHOULD AT LEAST HAVE A SLIGHT UNDERSTANDING ,ACCEPTANCE, AND TOLERANCE AND WAS THERE ONE IOTA OF UNDRSTANDING ---NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO                          WAS THERE EVEN AN ATTEMPT TO CALL SOMEONE ELSE TO HELP THEM UNDERSTAND MY CHILD?? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO                                DID THEY EVEN LISTEN TO ME????      NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO      

SO CALL YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS, CALL YOUR DOCTORS, CALL YOUR HOSPITALS AND CLINICS RAISE OUR VOICES NOW BEFORE YOU END UP WITH A LESS THAN DESIREABLE RESULT LIKE I DID.

I HAVE EVEN OFFERED TO IN-SERVICE THE STAFF AT THE HOSPITAL AS A MOM OF 18 YEARS WITH ON THE JOB TRAINING TO HELP THEMUNDERSTAND AND  TOLERATE OUR KIDS AND TO MAKE IT A BETTER EXPIERENCE FOR OUR KIDS AS WLL AS THE PROFESSIONALS THAT ARE TREATING THEM

PLEASE TAK THIS AFFRIMATIVE ACTION  NOW                                                  ITS ONLY A PHONE CALL BUT IT MIGHT MAKE THE DIFFERENCE