Doctor Offices Need People Like Me
By Reed Haber
Author and Self-Advocate Reed Haber
I was diagnosed with high-functioning autism in 2002, when I was 4 years-old. At that time, there was not nearly as much knowledge, research, or understanding of disabilities as there is now. People did not accept me as a whole human being for many years, and I have had lifelong microtrauma until very recently.
I’ve always had a natural drive to succeed and have a balanced lifestyle. At age 17, I decided that I did not want to spend my life in a group home and finally used this drive—rather than having serious behavioral and functional issues, spending every school day in detention! I’ve made rapid improvement in life overall since then, and expect to live long and with stability.
Since then, I’ve vigorously advocated for autistic people. My long-term goal is to lead an initiative for the vast improvement of the well-being of autistic people worldwide.
I hope no one goes through what I did during childhood and adolescence. I plan to practice psychotherapy for children and adolescents with autism, using the convergence between cognitive-behavioral therapy and psychodynamic therapy. I’m currently a 2nd-year student in the Master of Social Work program at NYU, and will be graduating this spring. I’m working on improving the policy and accessibility at the Oral Health Center for People with Disabilities (OHCPD) at NYU College of Dentistry. It is a dental clinic that serves underrepresented people from New York City, Westchester, Long Island, Connecticut, and even Boston and the Catskills.
Simply put, the OHCPD is at the forefront of this field. Our dentists and hygienists are specially trained to work with patients with all disabilities, whether it’s Alzheimer’s, Down syndrome, autism, or anything else. We have a wide variety of accommodations. However, there are very few clinics throughout the country that offer these types of services. Many of our patients come to our center because they had unbearable experiences at other dentist's offices. As there are so few clinics of this type, and a seemingly immeasurable number of people with disabilities, there is a huge gap in oral health equity in this population. Disability advocacy in dentistry should be further funded through grants, legislation, and in whatever way possible.
It is becoming increasingly important to have a social work perspective in the field of dentistry, in particular with helping patients with disabilities. We have a deep understanding and level of empathy that many other professionals do not, which can be used in disability advocacy. Not only that, but people with disabilities themselves can also offer a unique standpoint and serve as an advocate for this population.
The role I’ve taken here can serve as an example on how dental clinics can hire people with these skills. I’ve presented to healthcare groups and spoken with non-profit agencies, conveying the importance and relevance of disability advocacy in dentistry. I’ve helped patients calm down and have a more relaxing experience during the appointment if they have sensory or mobility issues. I’m working on developing accommodative intake forms and social stories, tailored to the various disabilities that our patients have, in addition to the training of NYU Pediatric Nurse Practitioner students at the OHCPD. Simply calling patients and using my natural empathetic skills to entice them to come to the appointment improves the number of patients who show up, and thus the reach of accommodations in dentistry.
Think of how many people with disabilities have serious oral health issues as a result of the paucity of accommodative dentistry. What if we could develop more clinics and services that help people with disabilities in this way? It would be nothing less than incredibly helpful and fulfilling. I’m hoping that whoever reads this article can take this into account and contribute, at least in some way or another, to this goal. It would change the lives, with both oral and overall health, of countless people with disabilities.