I'm a single mom by choice and have my hands full with my son who like so many others is on the PDD spectrum. As many parents of children with autism know this is a disease very few doctors know anything about - they especially don't know how to handle our kids!
Well let me tell you about my son's first visit with Dr Forletti at Kids First Pediatrics. At this point I was doctor shopping to find someone who would treat my son as a person - he's 17 and has Aspergers and is really in your face with attitude or just shuts you out and in the past all of his doctors just get turned off and talk to me like he isn't even in the room. So anyway Dr Forletti walks into the room apologising for running late and tries to engage my son. My son is mad 'cause he doesn't want to be there and has shut down. After a few moments this doctor is talking non-sense and talking about video games and movies and TV and his childhood and all of a sudden I realize he is talking to my son and my son is talking to him and then the doctor is examining my son - but you have to understand my son never lets anyone get close to him - and my son is laughing and taking off his hat and sweat shirt without me telling him! The next thing I know I'm crying because no doctor has ever gotten my son to talk let alone laugh or answer questions. And without breaking a stride Dr Forletti whips out Kleenex for me and then some water for me and then answers all of my questions and my son's questions, too! In about 20 minutes he's not only gotten my son to talk but he had handout for us to read and as we left my son gave him one of those crazy handshakes and asked me when we can come back to see Dr Forletti again!!
Take it from a mom who knows - if your child has special needs you need this practice - they get it - they know how to talk to kids with special needs.
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