Having a child with special needs means that you have to do a lot of things differently than other parents will. That's because your child is going to have triggers, sensitivities, and limitations that many other children don't have. That also means that you are going to have to work with medical professionals and other people who have experience working with people who have some kind of special need. If you need to take your child to a dentist, then you should talk to a special needs dentist and see if they are going to be the right person to work with your family. There are some things that you should talk about. Some are rather general for anyone with special needs, and some may be specific for your particular child and their needs. 

Wheelchair Access

If your child has to use a wheelchair, for whatever reason, you need to talk to the prospective dentist about wheelchair access, the ability to transfer from wheelchair to dental exam chair, and facilities in case your child can't transfer out of their wheelchair. There are certain reasons that a person may not be able to transfer out of the wheelchair. A dentist may have an exam room that doesn't have a chair in it so that they can work with patients who can't get out of their wheelchair. 

Interpreters

If your child uses sign language as their primary method of communication, you want to make sure that you ask the dentist about the availability of interpreters. While you might be going back to the appointment with your child, it may be easier for everyone if there is an interpreter available, or someone who works in the office who speaks ASL. That will allow you to focus on your child while someone else does all the interpreting. There are interpreter services that your dentist should be able to contract with in order to come in as necessary. 

Making sure that your child with special needs has all the medical treatments that they need can be difficult, because they may have some triggers that will make it difficult for them to be in certain situations. However, your child deserves dental treatment and needs to have it to maintain their quality of life. That means that you need to find a dentist who is familiar with working with children who have special needs and who is willing to make adjustments to your child.