Ironically, doctors are the worst about respecting us wheelies in terms of direct communication. I’m sure this is partly because they are so often in a rush, and partly because each person with a disability has different abilities for the doctor(s) to tend to. But maybe the days of heavy patient loads are over– maybe with the rise of the Americans with Disabilities Act and more equal rights for disabled people, doctors need to adapt to changes in our culture. Nowadays people with disabilities are getting more and more integrated into society, (and autistic people also seem to be ‘coming out of the woodwork’ too, because more is known about the neurological condition nowadays.) People with special needs usually will need more time than patients without disabilities, and equal respect. We wheelies can help the doctors by having things written down beforehand or having someone come with us to appointments, but generally, doctors should open their minds more and should be prepared to listen to the patient, not the caregiver, unless he/she prefers the indirect communication for the sake of speed.

But I’ll be damned! Once in a while, I do have an awesome interaction with a doctor. My dentist’s always respectful, and my eye doctor routinely takes the time to be a little goofy like a friend with me too. But yesterday was just grand. My mom came with me to my appointment for physical assistance reasons, and she interrupted my dialogue with my doctor a few times to make sure I gave the complete  explanation of symptoms to her, but my doctor totally returned to me each time! She was respectful to my mom by asking her if she had anything to add when I was finished, but I am so grateful.

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 Not everybody feels as strongly as I do about indirect communication, I’m sure. I have a weak voice due to a partially-paralyzed left vocal cord, and I get talked over, interrupted, and/or bypassed altogether every day. Thus effective communication is constantly on my mind to strive for.