A visit story, a one-page sheet for the care team, and a waiting plan. Three pages, one folder.
For: Parents, autistic adults, carers · Free to print, copy and share · No sign-up
How do I prepare an autistic child for a hospital appointment?
Tell them the sequence in advance, hand the team one page about how to communicate with them, and plan the waiting time specifically. Waiting and unexpected touch cause more distress than the procedure itself, so those are the two things worth preparing for.
The PDF is built in your browser on the next screen — nothing is saved or emailed.
How to use it
Fill in the story page with what will actually happen, in order.
Read it several times in the days before, not in the waiting room.
Complete the care-team page and hand it over at reception, not at the end.
Write the two or three absolute do-nots in bold. Those get read.
Pack the items listed in the waiting plan the night before.
Ask, in advance, for the first or last appointment of the day and a quieter place to wait.
Things worth knowing
You are allowed to ask for a quiet room, dimmed lights, no waiting-room tannoy, and one person doing the talking.
Ask staff to explain each step before touching, and to say what they are about to do.
This is a communication aid for appointments. It is not medical advice and it does not replace anything your clinician tells you.
Want this made for your situation?
Nova keeps this information in one place, extracts the details from documents your clinician gives you, and produces a handover sheet whenever you need one.