I recently took my daughter, who has ASD, to a podiatrist's office in Tampa. Given the shortage of specialists, we had to drive three hours from Orlando. It's frustrating that, despite the high prevalence of ASD, there aren't enough doctors or facilities to support our children.
Our appointment was at 4:00 PM, and I called the receptionist at 2:10 PM to inform her that we were running late due to traffic. She assured me it was fine and that she would inform the doctor. However, when we arrived at 4:30 PM, the receptionist, Jennifer, greeted us with a long face and no smile. Despite us greeting her first, she seemed unwilling to assist us and informed us that the doctor had left after waiting for only 15 minutes.
I politely explained our situation, mentioning that my daughter has ASD and that we had no other options for her evaluation. Jennifer remained unhelpful and insisted that we were late. Her demeanor was unprofessional, and she lacked the necessary skills to handle concerned parents and children with challenges.
After speaking with the doctor--who communicated in a foreign language and seemed uninterested in helping us--Jennifer returned and reiterated that the doctor could not see anyone else. We felt discriminated against and unwanted, and the experience was depressing. We will never return to this office. read more
