How to Approach Difficult Conversations With Patients and Family Members

Recently, after what was to be a “routine” speech-language evaluation for a 3-year-old, I had no choice but to bring the word “autism” into the conversation with the parents. The toddler’s pediatrician had never raised concerns, even though the child said just a few words, avoided eye contact, demonstrated clear echolalia, and repeatedly throughout the day hit his head and threw his body against walls, along with other stimming behaviors. Concerned about their child’s obvious delays compared to his peers, the parents sought a speech-language evaluation on their own. So while these parents knew something was going on, they didn’t expect me to recommend an assessment with a developmental pediatrician. When they asked why, I gave them my straightforward professional opinion—their child needed to be assessed for autism. (Note that SLPs with the relevant expertise can diagnose ASD, typically as a member of a team (see the ASHA Practice Portal  and this Leader Live post).  In some states, SLPs can independently diagnose ASD (check state licensure laws).   In our communication sciences and disorders professions, we deliver information across the spectrum of what may be considered bad news: Your lost hearing aid is no longer under warranty, your spouse’s stroke will affect her ability to speak for quite some time, your hearing test results suggest you should get an MRI. Audiologists and speech-language pathologists experience numerous...
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - Category: Speech-Language Pathology Authors: Tags: Audiology Health Care Private Practice Slider Speech-Language Pathology Source Type: blogs