Comments on: About That White Paper in the Doctor’s Office

By: Phil Schwarz

Phil Schwarz — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 02:33:26 +0000

I think the real craziness is that the DSM and ICD definitions of autism say nothing about sensory atypicalities. As I wrote in my contribution to the 2005 conference at Case Western Reserve on Autism and Representation: "[N]early all people on the autism spectrum capable of doing so will acknowledge sensory issues to be a major factor in their lives, an integral part of their being autistic, and a dimension in which they diverge from the mainstream; yet sensory issues are nowhere present in the DSM-IV or ICD-10 clinical definitions of autism. They are the elephant in the middle of the cocktail party that none of the guests seem to be willing to talk about - at least the figurative cocktail party at which the diagnostic manuals were written."

By: Julia

Julia — Sun, 04 Mar 2007 22:17:29 +0000

I liked the smell of the paper and the tongue depressors.

I don’t remember how I felt about the feel of the paper when I was little. I don’t care for it all that much now, but I understand its function and necessity. I also don’t care much for the paper gowns — they don’t keep me as warm as cloth ones would, they make noise when I move (I hate wearing anything that makes noise, I have some very nice-looking rubber-soled shoes for dressing up!), and they don’t feel very nice. Ickiness all around.

All my kids react badly to being put on the table, but I think that’s more of a “oh, no, I might get a shot!” thing than anything else at this point.

By: shan

shan — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 18:06:16 +0000

I hate that paper too… I don’t know how I reacted to it as a baby but as long as I can remember I have tried to sit on the very edge of it and then not move. At all. And definitely not touch it. You’d think they could do something about that… with modern technology and all.

By: zilari

zilari — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 05:21:28 +0000

Ugh, I always found that paper to be too loud — when they were pulling it out, it made thundery sounds. I also didn’t like it moving under me when I sat down.

By: Kassiane

Kassiane — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 03:17:00 +0000

They would have had me even earlier than they did…I hated how the paper felt and looked. So I turned off the lights as soon as I could reach and sat under the desk thing.

I still hate that paper…

By: Marcie

Marcie — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 02:17:45 +0000

>They would have probably spotted me right away >too. I apparently ran to the other side of the >room every time the doctor opened his mouth.

I don’t know what my reaction to the paper was, but I definitely had fear of doctors, which was significant as I had to have regular checkups and eventually heart surgery.

By: hj

hj — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 02:17:04 +0000

I always asked for a shot. Every time.

By: Mat

Mat — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 01:47:01 +0000

I would have been caught right away, too, I think. I couldn’t stand the paper or the touch of my mother’s hands on bare skin when I was little. (I also hated blood tests and the ear thing, but loved tongue depressors. I was not a fun kid to take into the doctor’s.)

By: Ballastexistenz

Ballastexistenz — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 01:35:12 +0000

They would have probably spotted me right away too. I apparently ran to the other side of the room every time the doctor opened his mouth.

By: Kristina Chew, PhD

Kristina Chew, PhD — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 01:11:00 +0000

Once when we lived in St. Louis a doctor pulled out a huge roll for Charlie to play with since he was looking at it….quite a sight!