The post-it.

There is a Post-it note on Pookie’s file at the dentist. It says, simply, “Pookie has Autism.”

In a world where we are taught not to label people, how do I feel about this Post-it? I do not want people to label Pookie, right? I want them to give him all the opportunities that every kid deserves. I want him treated fairly. I do not want him to be “Autism” I want him to be “Pookie.” To label him automatically puts him in a sub-par class. It means people think he is different and that they already hav e prejudice about how their interaction with him will go. Right?

Yet, I love this Post-it.

Why? Because this Post-it may say “Pookie has Autism” but what it really says is “Be nice. Be patient.” We should all treat each other as if there is a Post-it on the other person’s file. Its not a bad thing, in this case. This label does not mean that Pookie is treated differently. In this case, it means that he is given VIP service.

When I say VIP service, I mean it. This Post-it is not a warning to the staff. It does not say “Watch out for this one, he will probably bite or scream, you know how kids with Autism are.” This Post-it was put there with the best of intentions, and it is used with the best of care. The dental staff truly treats Pookie like a VIP. Who else do you know who arrives at the dentist and gets to wait in the waiting room with the toys until the dentist is ready? I mean ready. Standing-by-the-side-of-the-chair-waiting-for-you ready. Who else gets to lay on his side in the dental chair, because its more comfortable? Who else gets to bring their own toothpaste to the dentist? Who else gets to handle all the equipment and inspect it before its used in his mouth? Who else gets to stand up for the flouride treatment, because it makes more sense to spit in a sink than to use the spit-sucker?

No one. Just VIPs. That’s celebrity dental care, I tell you. Celebrity.

So, I love this Post-it. If you want to label Pookie, that’s fine with me. As long as your label says “Be nice. Be patient.” Not, “Watch out”.

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