Acting as an advocate for someone with special needs can help defuse potentially volatile situations, says retired nurse Vanessa Martin, an RCN fellow and RCN Foundation trustee
My son, now 49, is on the autistic spectrum. He can speak, but talking causes him stress, so he is apt to agree to every question so as to end the conversation. Medical staff often presume his positive answers mean he can make decisions for himself.
Nursing Standard. 32, 6, 65-65. doi: 10.7748/ns.32.6.65.s49
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