“I’ve seen many autistic children, but none like Krishna! Please admit him for 2 weeks in a psychiatric hospital.”

When Krishna’s neurologist said this, she saw him at the peak of his pain.

He was thrashing in my arms, spitting, crying, and desperately trying to break free to hurt himself.

“But Doctor, this is his response to pain.”

“No. This is overreaction. How will you manage him? He needs psychiatric medicines. Please admit him after taking him to the dentist.”

Her conviction shook me, because I have great respect for her.

This was the neurologist who had successfully treated Krishna’s migraine with minimal medication and high doses of vitamins.

If she herself said this…

Let me rewind and tell you the beginning of this story.

Krishna had been suffering from pain for 3 months.

His gastroenterologist felt that it was dental pain.

The dentist I took him to declared that there was no dental cause for his pain.

“It is perhaps his autism,” she said.

It was pain. I was sure of it.

Because he is autistic and can’t communicate, his very real pain was being dismissed.

We did dozens of tests.

Gave him dozens of medicines.

No effect.

In desperation, I took him to the neurologist.

She examined a struggling, angry child at the zenith of pain and frustration, and said it is his teeth. Take him to the dentist. And then the psychiatric hospital.

His father and I were torn.

We are strongly against psychiatric medicines without the cause being proven beyond doubt.

We took him to this hospital’s dentist.

She was aghast after examining Krishna.

She said he needed a full mouth rehabilitation, which would be done under general anesthesia.

Last Thursday, Krishna underwent 3 root canals and 3 extractions, along with other dental work.

The procedure took 2 surgeons 5 hours.

The next morning, the hysterical, violent child was gone.

Krishna was exhausted.

Calm.

Happy.

And his neurologist was also satisfied that intolerable pain—and the inability to communicate it—had driven his behaviour.

Dear parents of autistic children, you know your child best.

Even the greatest of doctors spend only a few minutes with your child, while you are with them 24×7.

Stand by your gut feeling for your child.

Both you and your child will then be the winners.