Finding Humor in Misunderstandings

When a child with a disability is in the hospital, things can be tense and serious. It’s scary when medical staff have trouble understanding what our children are saying. Sometimes I find it funny when people don’t quite understand what my son is saying.

My son with autism was recently in the hospital for surgery. I deal with autism every day. I’m used to the way he answers questions. Sometimes he understands a question. Other times, I have to restate or rephrase a question. I can’t always be around, like in the recovery room. 

After my son’s surgery, I got a panicked call from the recovery room nurse. She asked my very logical son if he uses oxygen at home. “He told me he uses oxygen at home,” she said. “We don’t see it here on his chart. I was just calling to check with you.”  

I reassured her he did not use it at home and had to laugh when I got off the phone. You and I breathe oxygen every day. My son probably thought to himself, “Of course I use oxygen at home. What else would we breathe?” He didn’t understand that the nurse meant “oxygen tank.”  

During the same hospital stay, my son couldn’t wait to get discharged. Every time the nurses came into his room, he asked, “When can I go home?” He’s a dedicated employee and worried he’d be late for work. His employer planned to give him lots of time off to recover. My son’s eagerness to leave the hospital must not have made it to every hospital employee. At one point, the head nurse came in and said, “Does he want to stay for lunch?” 

I looked at him, laughed and said, “NO!”  

What silly questions has your child been asked?  Did their response make you chuckle? I hope so. Sometimes we can't take things too seriously. We need to find humor where we can.  

There are many more great tips on the Family Support page.