2.08.2007

Leelo vs. the Dentist

Leelo vs. the Dentist

I am bursting with Leelo pride today. Can't keep it in! Our boy went to the dentist and sat in her dental chair and let her both clean and scrape his teeth! All firsts! If I hadn't needed to rub his hand while telling him what a good smart brave boy he was, I would have taken pictures for submission to Ripley's.

Leelo having a successful, uneventful visit to the dentist is not something I would ever ever have anticipated--I fully expected the appointment to include a serious discussion about sedation dentistry. But our boy made it through without help; no one drugged him or restrained him or used a device to force his mouth open. He complied purely because he understood that we wanted him to, and he trusted us, even though I'm sure he was still very scared. Wonderfully brave, brave boy.

His dentist has several autistic patients. She says most of them do come around eventually, when they get used to seeing her (and get older) and realize that she's not going to hurt them. If you're a parent of a younger autistic child who thinks "the dentist" means "the devil," please know that there is hope.

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