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Autism in the Hospital: Supportive Strategies for Sensory, Communication and Behavioral Challenges
Copyright :
- Sensory, communication and behavioral challenges that impact successful medical treatment
- Strategies for ER triage, routine hospital visits, surgery and more
- Roadmap for treating a non-verbal, non-responsive individual with autism
- ‘Stimming’ behaviors as a strategy
- Subtle sign of less obvious ASD
Do you know how to give medical attention to a patient with autism who:
- Can’t answer your questions or identify levels of pain?
- Refuses to have blood drawn, give urine a sample, do dialysis or CT/MRI scan?
- Attempts to pull out lines or pull off bandages?
- Fights you off with piercing screaming and flapping of the arms?
- Can’t tolerate your touch and or make eye contact with you?
- Won’t stop running out of the treatment room?
- Refuses medication?
Whether the medical appointment is scheduled or it’s a trip to the emergency room the hospital can be a sensory minefield for someone with autism causing them to spiral toward a terrifying meltdown. Sedation and four-point restraint are not practical solutions.
Your connection to your autism patient will depend upon how quickly you can move into their world. Through case examples, videos and lively class discussion you will walk away with practical strategies for successful medical treatment of an individual with autism, such as:
- Hospital/EMT equipment to help support sensory needs
- Overcoming the most common sensory triggers
- Communication cards, checklists and Apps as visual supports
- Social stories to break down hospital/EMT procedures
- Navigate ER triage, routine hospital visits, labs and tests
- What to do when a meltdown occurs
- Calming techniques
Susan Hamre, MA, CCC-SLP
Susan Hamre, MA, CCC-SLP, is an ASHA certified speech-language pathologist with over 40 years of clinical, teaching and research experience with autism in the home, school, hospital and community settings. She owns and manages a private practice in Santa Fe, New Mexico that serves individuals from infancy to adulthood, with an emphasis on Early Intervention, autism and various other challenging conditions. A clinician at heart, Susan has personally provided treatment for children as young as nine months, on up. She has had the pleasure of working with some individuals and their families for over 20 years.
Susan is a national presenter teaching treatment strategies for autism to rehab professionals, mental health clinicians and educators. She provides autism trainings to First Responders (Crisis Intervention Teams, firefighters and EMT. Susan was the Director of the Autism Training Center at Giant Steps in Illinois, where trained first responders, transportation systems, park districts, small and large venues, nursing colleges, medical centers, parent groups and public school systems. Years of professional experience backs up her ability to speak on this subject with conviction and passion.
Susan has made five Operation Smile mission trips; four to the Philippines and one to Africa. While those trips were medical in nature (cleft lip and palate), on every one of those trips, she was privy to identify the existence of probable autism, then steering the families in the right direction. Those situations underscore her belief that with trained eyes, the unique set of characteristics that cloak autism can be spotted at a very young age, in all sorts of environments and even when the same language is not being spoken.
Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Susan Hamre maintains a private practice and is a National Seminar CE Trainer. She receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Susan Hamre has no relevant non-financial relationships.
