I spent months deciding whether to write this review, as I prefer to make mental notes and move on. However, I feel it’s important to share my experience.
To start, my son has Autism, which was noted on the registration. The front desk receptionist was very friendly, but unfortunately, that’s where the positive customer service ended. We were taken to the back, but no one explained what the next steps would be.
The first assistant brought us into a dimly lit room and simply told my son to put his face on the machine, without any warm greeting or explanation. We had to walk him through it ourselves, and the assistant seemed visibly annoyed.
Next, we were taken to the exam room where the second assistant was a bit warmer, but when it came time to check my son’s eye pressure with the Tonometer (the type that touches the eye), I assumed it was a handheld version of the air puff machine. I tried to explain this to my son to ease his anxiety, but he became scared. It took a lot of patience to get him to do one side, but when the machine touched his eye, he freaked out. No one explained this process to him or to us, and that lack of communication made things harder. My son doesn’t do well with surprises and needs to know what’s coming next.
We attempted to continue the visit, but the first assistant returned and tried to help. Unfortunately, there was no compassion, no smile, and no calming voice. Instead, she told us not to traumatize him any further, which was baffling since she had shown no kindness or patience to begin with. At that point, I hoped the doctor would step in to ease the situation, but unfortunately, she mirrored the first assistant’s energy, telling us we’d need to see a pediatric eye doctor instead.
We’ve been dealing with my son's Autism his whole life. With proper explanations, examples, and kindness, he can handle nearly anything. The only person who showed any concern or kindness during the visit was the second assistant.
It seems that, to the staff, my son appeared to be just another child who “didn’t listen.” The reality is that he’s anxious and easily scared and simply needs more patience. This wasn’t his first eye doctor visit. After his family eye doctor retired, he saw another doctor who wasn’t pediatric-focused, and he did great because that doctor was kind, patient, and walked him through every step.
As someone who works for an oral surgeon, I understand how difficult it can be to work with scared children (and even adults), but my doctors and staff are always patient and compassionate, no matter what. I can only hope that the first assistant (who was pregnant at the time) never experiences the kind of service we did. It’s heartbreaking to see how much of a difference kindness and patience can make.
The two stars are for the nice receptionist and the second assistant.