"Emergency visit"

My young child, non verbal autistic, I took them yesterday to emergency department after having a fluctuating temperature up to 39 for 48hours, no food or milk and no water all day, they were sleeping all day, limp, lethargic. As they are autistic I can’t get them to take Panadol so I needed help to medicate and hydrate them.

I told staff immediately and often my child is autistic so I’d told my child we were there to check on me to help make the situation less stressful for them. They gave my child an icy pole even though I told them my child would not have it because it’s flavoured, I guess I’m not a credible person. I said we’d need extra people to help take the rats test as I wouldn’t be strong enough to hold them down myself. Of course that was ignored as well they sent one staff member. My child was so violent during the test and I was unable to hold them effectively (like I said) they bit their own lip and was bleeding. That injury was left untended.

When the doctor saw us they said my child was fine even though they were limp and asleep on the waiting room chair at the time. The doctor said there were no signs of dehydration and I needed to take my child home, give them fluids every 15 mins and Panadol. The literal reason for me attending ER was because I’d been unable to do that myself which I stated at least 5 times - because you guessed it, they have autism. The doctor proceeded to seemingly lecture me about giving my child better food as if we had not already been working tirelessly with therapists, OT, dieticians and nutritionist for years! I felt it was patronising and insulting. I know it’s rural but not one paediatrician bothered to look at my child.

The doctor tried themselves to give my child a syringe of Panadol and of course failed because, in my opinion, they had completely failed to understand my child’s autism diagnosis. I’m not even sure the doctor’s heard of it or has the basics because if you don’t understand me when I say no they won’t take it orally then I feel I can only put that down to a complete lack understanding of neurodivergence. It was beyond frustrating that for the second time in presenting my child to ER recently for help with the administration of Panadol I was being sent home without but sternly and condescendingly telling me I must go home and do it -the doctor even gave me the syringe they’d failed to give my child to bring home?

So we left with my child worse off because now they also have a split lip. I understand it’s rural but there must be a disabled protocol surely. It’s not called special needs for nothing. On one final insult to our hospital trip even though I’ve sent the hospital our court guardianship papers stating I have legal custody and I mentioned it in person that was ignored too because on the discharge sheet there was a note child in foster care. It wasn’t busy there was one other person there. I felt not one staff member really listened to me.

Based on my experience, get some special needs training asap! I am horrified and have spent all day having anxiety over the fact we will need to drive 7 hours away to Perth next time for, in my opinion, some professional knowledgeable assistance.

At the time of writing this, my child was still extremely unwell but I continued to put wet cloths on their head because modern medicine can’t be of any assistance to an autistic child when I live in Kalgoorlie apparently!