Dr. being overly harsh with my almost three year old.

[Anonymous]

We were at a screening the other day with my pediatrician. He wanted to check my son and see if he saw the same signs that the early intervention specialists saw. My son may have an ASD. He does not speak much at all, except gibberish and the occasional one or two words. He is above normal in his physical abilities. Anyway, the Dr. was running him through the questions, and he asked if DS could draw a line. I said "He can scribble". Dr. said "No! That does not count" then he gave my DS a pencil and paper and told him to draw a line. He was very harsh in his tone. DS scribbled, Dr. said "NO, a line", then showed DS. DS scribbled. Then Dr. got more harsh and showed son a line, and said "A line LIKE THIS" DS could not do it. Then Dr. said "Draw a circle". And showed DS a circle. DS took the pencil and nodded his head and then careful started to draw a very wobbly misshapen circle. Obvious to me he was not scribbling. Dr. sighed and took the pencil away before DS could finish and said "NO not scribbling" and then DS proceeded to cry for the rest of the appt.
I was sad that my little boy was trying so hard and this jerk made him feel like crap. The Dr. is of Indian descent, and the only reason I mention it is that I was wondering if maybe his attitude has something to do with a language barrier. Or maybe ASDs are not common in India. I am thinking of dropping the Dr. we have been seeing him for 12 years and he has been a jerk before.

[Anonymous]

The Dr. sounds like a jerk to me.

[Anonymous]

I have had Indian doctors before and felt like they were being overly blunt. I have several friends that are Indian and asked, according to them Doctors are often quite blunt in India, bedside manner is not a class if you will. I would drop the doctor because I think you are going to have anxiety when you go to see this guy again and it will transmit to your child.

[Anonymous]

I would not return. I don't know where you live, but Dr. Madden at Discovery Pediatrics (Silver Spring) is fantastic with my special needs child, and I can't imagine her speaking like that to any child.

Special needs children cannot produce on command -- cannot produce speech, writing, any motor skill.

As for the doctor's origins, so many doctors are insensitive -- who cares where he is from.

[Anonymous]

Find a new doc.

[Anonymous]

They have ASDs in India. The rates of ASDs are pretty uniform everywhere. The doctor sounds like a jerk so I agree you need a new one.

[Anonymous]

He sounds like a bad fit for you so I would find another doctor.

As a parent of a SN child, I would ask you to be more careful not to stereotype people for any reason. Your child will be stereotyped and labeled by others and it is not a pleasant thing to be on the receiving end. You do harm when you perpetuate the notion that it is ok to attribute traits to any group of people in this manner. Indeed, my own pediatrician when I was a child was an Indian woman, and she was one of the gentlest, most caring people I've ever met, and I've had a number of Indian docs with wonderful bedside manners and white US born docs with terrible manners. Also, they speak English in India. I don't think you meant any harm, so just a gentle reminder.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:He sounds like a bad fit for you so I would find another doctor.

As a parent of a SN child, I would ask you to be more careful not to stereotype people for any reason. Your child will be stereotyped and labeled by others and it is not a pleasant thing to be on the receiving end. You do harm when you perpetuate the notion that it is ok to attribute traits to any group of people in this manner. Indeed, my own pediatrician when I was a child was an Indian woman, and she was one of the gentlest, most caring people I've ever met, and I've had a number of Indian docs with wonderful bedside manners and white US born docs with terrible manners. Also, they speak English in India. I don't think you meant any harm, so just a gentle reminder.

This is wonderful advice.

[Anonymous]

I agree that origin and ethnicity have nothing to do with your pediatrician's behavior. Don't waste another minute with that doctor. There are much, much better out there.

[Anonymous]

New doctor!

[Anonymous]

Stop whining and get a new Doctor. Wow, you are clueless in life. The time you wasted writing this out, you could have found a new Doc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Stop whining and get a new Doctor. Wow, you are clueless in life. The time you wasted writing this out, you could have found a new Doc.

The time you spent being mean was also wasted time.

[Anonymous]

No meanness necessary!
Back to the point, doc is a jerk, definitely not a cultural thing. I have had many wonderful Indian docs.
I also have a SN son as a patient at Discovery Pediatrics in silver spring (dr Cohen) couldn't be happier with them

[Anonymous]

Good doctors and good bedside manners have nothing to do with ethnicity. I have met plenty of Caucasion, Jewish, Asian, Indian, African people and one is not like another. Prejudice is a form of violence and a denial of a person's individuality. OP and other posters who agreed- Maybe the doc is prejudiced against SN kids just the way you are against his ethnic group. It is never pleasant to be at the recieving end of such feelings. If this doc is your only contact with this racial group, expand your horizons and set a good example for your child- people are to be accepted regardless of color, size, race AND abilities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Stop whining and get a new Doctor. Wow, you are clueless in life. The time you wasted writing this out, you could have found a new Doc.

well asshole you just waisted every one's time, maybe you need to throw your keyboard away.