Oh boy do I have some crazy hospital experiences with my autistic little boy! It’s so bloody traumatic and we have had some serious repercussions and major trauma, we are still working through with our son from these experiences. Hospitals are both a blessing and a curse 😢

I'm so sorry you had such a traumatic experience at the hospital. My grandson is 5 and autistic and it's very hard with hospital appointments as he is globally delayed and non verbal so doesn't understand what's going on. I'm glad Jacob is recovering and has finished his meds. Thank you for sharing this, I could see how hard it was for you to tell us. X

So glad you had such a wonderful outing to see and feed the animals. Also glad you have the stroller and hope it still is a godsend. But you dear girl am so sorry to hear what that hospital put you all through. They should all be struck off. No child should have to go through an ordeal like that let alone your beautiful boy with his sensitivities. Do not regret it as you say the benefit of hindsight is a wonderful thing. Just be sure to tell them they will never do anything like that again. When my youngest was around 3 he had to have bloods taken and screamed the hospital down. It was the most traumatic experience for us but nothing compared to having infection drained. Again so sorry you and your boy were treated so badly. Your baby girl is such a little character and your boy stroking those birds melted my heart. Great to catch you guys again. Also love that indoor swing xxx

Also, happy to hear that using a pram/stroller has been helpful! Having a safe space accessible to retreat to really can be so comforting.

So sorry to hear Jacob had such a scary experience as a fellow auspie I still can't do hospitals or doctors , so really feel for the little chap. Also as an auspie I just thought do you have sunglasses for Jacob? Just because when it's sunny I literally cannot leave the house without them as the brightness is instantly overwhelming...just thought watching you guys on your little zoo adventure 😊 so glad you all had a lovely time and glad to see such wonderful smiles from everyone 😊

I'm so sorry to hear that Jacob was put through that, and you as well. I think you did a pretty great job advocating for him! You'll get better at it over time, and you're already doing better than most. Thank you for recognizing that this was a traumatic event, both due to the medical procedure and the restraint. Thank you for not stepping out when they suggested it, that was among the best things you could have done to protect him at that point (suggesting for a parent to leave, especially when there is a lack of understanding from the workers, things have escalated, and there is a restraint underway, is a red flag. and it would have been even more traumatizing if you had left, as I'm sure you know) If he does suffer effects from the trauma of being restrained, please don't blame yourself ❤ Incidents of restraint (no matter how "minor"/"small") can (and almost always do) have aftereffects that sometimes aren't immediately present or obvious. There are many, many ways this can manifest. The general thing to look out for is any change that seems unexplained or unusual for the child, and even if the change does seem explainable by something else, to keep in mind that it could be from the trauma of being restrained. (of course I am not saying changes should just be attributed to trauma, it's just important to keep it in mind so as to not be alarmed or confused by changes) (this can look like, and is not limited to: "loss" of skills, changes in "behavior," increased meltdowns and/or dysregulation, new reactions or "behaviors" that "came out of nowhere", new fears, increased or decreased hyperactivity that is not typical of the child, etc.) Does Jacob have some sort of audio protection to wear at the zoo (and similar situations)? I understand that it can be hard to find audio protection that feels okay to wear, if any. (I find having things touching me to be distressing and often painful, so it took a long time before I found earplugs that I'm okay with wearing for a few hours at a time). There are more options than just earplugs and the stereotypical over-ear headphones; a more sensory-friendly option could be a soft headband designed to block out sound (maybe one with a similar fabric to the Comfort on the Spectrum clothing?). I find the zoo to be an auditory sensory nightmare, and I heard a lot of sounds (seemingly very loud ones too) through the video. I understand everyone's sensory needs are different; I just figured that if he is audio-sensitive that this may be worth trying. As you try to decrease screen time, what are you replacing it with? Since you noted that it's regulating for Jazz, it's important that there's another source of regulation to replace it.

I love Jacob's lion king hoodie!

I'm sorry about your hospital experience! Our son gets a lot of anxiety around medical settings. We're fortunate to have a children's hospital in the city closest to us. They have been amazing and very accommodating. General hospitals struggle to meet his needs, and we've had some traumatic experiences, too. ❤

Awe I am so sorry for Jacob. I have a five year old autistic boy and he had several times at the hospital. I know how you feel. Here in America it is really hard for our kids. My son is also named Jordan and he had to have eartubes and the the test for seizures. I cried the hold time. People were coming in and poking and running test. It is traumatic in so many ways. The iPad is a god send for us too. I also have a hard time giving oral antibiotics to him cause the taste. I wish you all the best and really hope Jacob gets better and love how happy Jazz was feeding the cute animals. Thank you for your videos.

My son (non verbal asd) was hospitalised for nearly a week earlier this year. While he was in they had to give him blood tests twice a day, which took 6 of us. Every time I asked for sedation and every time they said no. Now he won't let any type of medical professional near him.

So sorry to hear poor Jacob had to go through it.

I'm sorry your family went through such a traumatic experience. Hospital visits are so difficult for autistic people. As an autistic myself I have found that using my ear defenders and fidget/sensory toys really helpful to regulate myself in those kinds of situations and cope with being touched. I noticed Jacob likes his blanket in his stroller. I'm wondering if perhaps a weighted blanket might help him regulate easier in those kinds of situations. Forgive me if I'm overstepping suggesting this idea. It's just a thought and I'm just coming from a place of understanding and empathy having also raised an autistic son.😊

Look at autism and vaccination and also autism and diet. This can help a lot . Doctors have very limited training and seeking a counsellor and someone trained in ASD and diet intake. I feel compassion for your boy .

I had a hospital emergency when my appendix burst and it was just as traumatic for me

I am 23 years old and I have autism and ADHD and anxiety and depression and learning disabilitys and a missing chromosome and i have really bad sensory issues and I can’t do loud noises and bright lights and to much people

My son has had tons of medical appointments, hospital stays, and near 20 surgeries/procedures. He's very similar to Jacob. We usually have five people hold him down. Everything is traumatic. We haven't been able to ease into anything except once in a while he'll sit on the scale. We refuse blood pressure as they haven't gotten it without sedation since he was 18 months. You can refuse the vitals. I usually will do the temperature for them as I can get close enough and do the head or ear one very quickly. Sounds like you guys did a fantastic job but I have to tell you it always feels bad like that.

My 4 year old is non verbal autistic and he also has a long medical history. He was born at 28 weeks, spent 4 months in the hospital, had 2 heart surgeries before 1 year old, hospitalized for asthma 5 times, and will need another heart surgery one day. Needless to say we’ve spent so much time at drs and hospitals and it’s always been tough. I can completely relate. I’m so sorry you had that rude person at the hospital! That sounds terrible. You’re right tho it’s not set up for our kids. I remember after my sons 2 nd heart surgery my son was just very emotional, in pain, having a hard time. And our roommate just was so rude rolling their eyes at us, asking for a room change. The medical aspect of things for our kids is a tough road to navigate but you do learn some tricks a long the way. I now pack a backpack in our stroller with everything I can think of to help him get thru any appts or hospital visits. For long appts I buy him a new special toy that I give him there and it’s helped a few times!

I have a 3 year old son with autism, he tends to get sick a lot, and hospital/doctor appointments are so so traumatic for us as well! We literally have to pin him down, he won’t let them anywhere near him and it’s so awful for him and for us. Totally agree with you that they’re not set up great when it comes to sensory needs, it’s not fair on our children.

Love that for you that the zoo trip went so good. What a beautiful zoo and so interactive with the feeding of the animals. Mabye a tip is to replace the stroller for a handcart(hope that’s the right translation ).

I don't understand why people in the medical field seem to know so little about trauma. Maybe it's just that they see trauma every day so they get desensitized. But my sister was taken from mom and held down by nuses when she hurt her arm when she was in elementary school. She's 40 now and still tells the story. It stuck with her for life. Something like that can have a lifelong impact and I wish doctors understood that.

So stressful! My daughter had an infection and had to have a blood test and she was so dehydrated it wouldn’t work. She was screaming and crying, it was very traumatic. Maybe the hospital were concerned about the side effects of sedation. I’m glad it worked in the end.

🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾💛💛💛💛💛

My son was 4 at the time and had split his head open and also had a neck injury, I waited in line outside for 2 hours even with blood dripping down his head and he was in and out of attacking me and they still let someone with an ingrown toe nail that had lifted go in front of us. Also went another time when I couldn’t get his temp under 40 and we waited for 3 hours and there was a junky screaming over and over again “I hurt my back I fell” which triggered my son so I told them he’s about to have a massive meltdown so they put be in a quiet waiting area then told me we don’t do anything for temps. Just annoying. He was very ill.

Jacob might really enjoy going to Body Smart, they specialise in Autism and the fees are covered under NDIS

No doctors have any training with autism. It is a true shame.

I’m 20

Meivin ross