So when I first went in you could be intimidated and a lot of parents are intimidated because the professionals talk in professional language, lots of acronyms. I always stop people. I mean we have got an acronym for our Autistic Support group which is nice HAFS, HAFS rolls off the tongue, but that doesn’t mean nothing to anybody else who doesn’t know us. So I always stop people. I have learned that. If anybody uses an acronym I say, “What does that mean?” Because I understand it is to speed up the conversation, you can talk in acronyms if you are all professional. But if there is a parent there who doesn’t understand and is not used to all that kind of language, I say, “Can you speak in simple English, words of one or two syllables?” Because you have got to because I think they try, I think at first some of them do try and they do overawe you, over power you with all this language and so you end up going in. They talk about your son or daughter and you come out and you are just absolutely bemused. You don’t know what has gone on, you know.

 

That doesn’t ever happen to me now. It never happens I make sure. Both of us here, probably me and him, but they know not to try and kid us basically you know. We want the thing in simple.

 

So my dealings with professionals, at first I found that they did sort of talk down to me a bit you know, we are the professionals. I always open my conversation with people like yourself who have letters after their name, you know, you know, I have got them, but it doesn’t make any … I always walk in and say, “We are in this meeting now. We are talking about my son who is autistic and I am the professional in this room, not you. I am the professional regarding my son.” And that usually takes the wind out of their sails, which I think … But not everyone is like me. No some people are quite shy and reticent and wouldn’t feel comfortable to be able to stand up for themselves.

 

So that is why they have advocates so … me and him are the advocates for all our parents. We always go to every meeting with every professional body, with their permission so that they don’t get blinded by science. They always sort of seem to, once either of us walk into the room the professionals have to take on a different approach. We know they do, because we know how they talk to them when we are not there, when we have not been there and how they talk when we are there; completely different approach. So for professionals and I think if this is going out to professionals please talk to parents in simple English. Try and explain to them simply what the problem is and what you want to try and do to resolve it and try and not use big language because they don’t understand it. You know they are professionals like you. It is not their forte you know. So that is my plea to professionals.