Medical appointments can bring uncertainty.
Questions about symptoms.
Concerns about treatment.
Decisions that need careful explanation.
As a Deaf mum, I sometimes think about what happens when accessible communication isn't in place and a child is expected to step in.
A child may want to help.
They may understand how their parent communicates.
They may even feel comfortable helping in familiar situations.
But medical conversations can involve private information, difficult decisions and details that need to be understood accurately.
A child's willingness to help doesn't make them responsible for interpreting those conversations.
If my child is the patient, their questions, wishes and understanding matter too.
But being involved in their own healthcare is different from being expected to interpret between adults.
I should be able to communicate directly with healthcare professionals, with appropriate communication support arranged when needed.
I don't want my children placed in the middle simply because access hasn't been considered.
They deserve to attend medical appointments as children, not as the solution to an adult communication barrier.
Medical spaces are not places for children to interpret.
REFLECTIVE QUESTION
What might change when children can attend medical appointments without being expected to interpret adult conversations?
