Mayhem Long Island rocks the stage for Autism Awareness MonthFor a variety of reasons, it can be especially stressful for individuals with autism and their caregivers to seek urgent medical care.
Late last summer, Northwell Health-GoHealth Urgent Care opened the nation’s first three urgent care centers with the “autism-friendly” designation from Autism Speaks, a national nonprofit autism awareness and research organization. The three centers — which are located in East Northport, Lake Success and Hewlett — include a pediatric center in addition to an adult center.
“We realized there was a big need on Long Island for urgent care centers that provide a welcoming and comforting environment for people with autism and their caretakers,” said Dr. Lynda Gerberg, lead pediatrician for Northwell Health-GoHealth Urgent Care.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 1 in 36 children have been identified as having autism spectrum disorder. Based on this figure and U.S. Census data, Northwell Health-GoHealth estimates that nearly 17,000 children with autism spectrum disorder live in Nassau and Suffolk counties.
“Many people in this population avoid seeking medical care because of their anxieties or concerns that they will not be understood,” Gerberg added.
The autism-friendly designation indicates that all patient-facing staff — from patient care coordinators and medical assistants to nurses and physicians — have undergone a special training program that empowers them to provide a more supportive, accommodating experience for patients on the autism spectrum. The three centers also feature exam rooms with dimmable lights and sensory-friendly screen displays, such as snowfall or aquatic scenes, as well as a private waiting room and sensory kits with fidget spinners and stress balls. There’s also a discreet system for patients or guardians to notify staff that they are on the spectrum.
Since Northwell Health-GoHealth’s East Northport location opened, Commack parents Eric and Risa Trinagel have taken their 12-year-old twin sons, Mylo and Izzy, there for medical care on several occasions. Both Mylo and Izzy are on the spectrum.
“Everyone at GoHealth has been very kind, and they treat our children like they’re human beings, which can be hard to come by in many places,” said Eric Trinagel. “The staff there tries to get communication from the boys, which is very important, and they try to get to the bottom of what the medical issue is — rather than just saying, ‘He’s not letting me examine his throat’ or ‘he’s not letting me look in his ears,’ and just pushing my sons aside and just giving them antibiotics or Tylenol instead of trying to figure out what the issue is.”
The staff “take their time to get the answers they need,” Trinagel said. “If one of my sons is afraid to let them look in his ears, they’ll try something like, ‘How about if I show you how this works on Mom or Dad?’ or ‘Do you want to hold the instrument?’ Our kids are not bad; they just require a little more coaxing and patience.”
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Feedback from other patients and families of children on the spectrum has also generally been very positive, Gerberg said.
“Parents have told us, ‘We’ve struggled with where to take our child and now you’re going to be our place to go to whenever she gets sick,’” Gerberg said. “One mom brought her child in for a flu shot, and she was very happy and grateful that it was a positive experience. She said it had been a huge struggle year after year, and they even skipped the flu shot for a couple of years because it was so hard.”
According to Gerberg, staff members speak to patients with autism respectfully, rather than showing fear or giving off vibes that they “can’t handle this.”
“The staff doesn’t judge us,” Trinagel said. “If Mylo needs to skip and get out some of that extra energy he’s known to have, they give him the space he needs. They don’t give him weird looks.”
Northwell Health-GoHealth chose these three particular centers for their pilot program because they include dedicated pediatric centers. But the centers’ autism-friendly accommodations apply to both children and adult patients, and many young adults in particular have sought out these centers for their autism-friendly care, Gerberg said.
Northwell Health-GoHealth has already provided autism training to its 1,000-plus patient-facing staff members throughout the New York area and plans to roll out the program to its 60-plus centers in the region over the next year.
“Our goal is for this to be a national program and to become the standard for urgent care,” said Gerberg, noting that Northwell Health-GoHealth is part of the national GoHealth Urgent Care network.
