Hi I'm an orthodontist and I've treated a number of children with ASD. Anxiety can be an issue initially but if things are explained and carried out in smaller steps most children cope well. Sometimes I limit treatment depending on the child so as not to lose cooperation. It's definitely worth looking in to and with a sensible approach it's possible. I have however had one child who just complety refused, but so have many other children without ASD so I just accept their choice. Good luck.

My son has a friend with Aspergers and he goes to the same orthodontist. I would ask alot of questions from the doctor and staff if they have any experience . If you find the doctor you can prepare your son for his next visit so nothing is a surprise and anxiety levels are low.

Oh, and definitely tell them he has Aspergers before you go. See how they respond. This will give them the chance to come up with or learn ways how to make him comfortable. That's helped a lot for me.

My son is 10. We took him to ortho when he was 8. He ended up having a fit, and running out of the chair and under a bench. However, I think the practice was horrible!!!! I have managed to find 2 different dentists that were incredible with him, and the visits went great. We are revisiting a different ortho in a few weeks that has a good reputation for working with Aspergers kids. Like stated above, I'll be thrilled if all goes well, but won't lose sleep if it doesn't. Maybe just taking him and exposing him to this office will help in the long run even if things don't go as planned at his upcoming visit. You can also feel out the dr. & staff. I can almost predict how things will go after meeting & observing how they interact with my son. Good luck, I hope all goes well. I'm crossing my fingers for our upcoming appt. too.

We are looking at braces.... Kind of scared.