Trips to the dentist may be made much easier for children with autism if dental staff use positive verbal reinforcement and talk to the child about what will be done before it is done.

The dentist office is often not a good fit for a child with autism. This article looked at parent views on behavior guidance techniques for children with autism who receive dental care. The study found that parents are often able to predict how their children will behave with the dentist. Parents of children with autism often prefer when the dentist: 1) tells the child when he is good, 2) approaches the child with tell-show-do, 3) distracts the child, 4) uses rewards, and 5) allows the parent to hold the child's hand. Most parents do not like staff restraint. Read more...