One of the most common questions I get as a dentist is how to make the experience more positive for children with autism.

A dentist’s office is full of strange sights and sounds, and I’ve seen firsthand how upsetting this can be to children with autism.

Fortunately, there are steps you can take to both prepare your child as well as give their dentist the tools they need to put the child at ease during any dental procedure. This is important, as a trip to the dentist is a vital part of good oral health for children with autism as much as it is for those without.

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Do not pace back and forth when waiting in line for airport security. Airport personnel will become suspicious. Be aware of your hypersensitive visual sense and avoid looking too intently at the many and varied stimuli in airports. This can make other travelers anxious. When headed to the restroom, do not touch every seatback as you move through the airplane’s aisle. Although you need this for vestibular balance, it invades the private space of passengers. When an international flight is canceled or delayed, employ your autism-based proclivity to systemize; tell yourself airports in every country work the same way and there are set procedures for dealing with change.

These rules are just some of the internal narratives I have developed enabling me to successfully travel around the world sharing my vision about autism and Asperger Syndrome – while being on the spectrum myself.

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