At the beginning of December, Nathalie Leroux, specialist in inclusion projects for neurodiversity, offered training to professionals in the dental field on the subject of clients with special needs. Even though the activity took place in Beloeil as part of an event of the Vallée-du-Richelieu Dental Society, it also joined professionals from the Haut-Richelieu region.
With this activity, the Johannaise wanted to highlight the realities of neurodivergent clients, for whom a visit to a health professional such as the dentist can be difficult. The speaker also named several easy ways to adapt in order to make an appointment more pleasant for everyone, both for clients and for dental clinic staff.
Tools
“Dental care is essential, but it’s not easy for everyone. It is special for this clientele because it is a service that requires great proximity, and there are also a lot of stimuli at the sensory level. There can also be a misunderstanding of what is happening,” says Ms. Leroux, also a music therapist.
Various tools can be applied in the clinic, starting with indicating on its website that neurodivergent clients are welcome. It is also possible to present visual sequences and time management to clearly explain the intervention, instead of only stating it verbally.
Tools such as photos of the clinic and the speakers as well as questionnaires can also be provided before the visit so that the client is prepared to receive the treatment. On site, customers can be reassured with the presence of heavy objects to handle and the possibility of taking breaks to move around.
Other clienteles
“The goal is to adapt more through intervention from a perspective of inclusion and not by completely changing the clinic,” assures Nathalie Leroux.
The latter emphasizes that these gestures are not only practical for neurodivergent clients, but also for others, such as elderly people with cognitive loss, people living with anxiety disorders and even those who do not like going to the dentist.
“The more a person is exposed to a situation, the easier it will be for them to adapt to it. It’s normal for the first few visits to be more difficult, but starting as early as possible can help normalize and create a routine. You just have to dare and put initiatives in place,” she emphasizes.
Opening
The day of the conference, Ms. Leroux said she was happy to see the openness of the dentists and dental hygienists she met there. “I really felt a desire and a need on their part to understand neurodiversity. Many of them came to talk to me and ask me questions after my presentation,” she says.
“It is important that parents and caregivers of neurodivergent people know that professionals are comfortable seeing them. This can help give them hope and feel included,” adds the speaker, who is also known for creating a calming tent to integrate into events. Citizens have also been able to take advantage of the concept a few times already in the region, during a Santa Claus parade in Vieux-Saint-Jean and at the International Hot Air Balloon Festival in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu.
“It is by being around each other that people will understand each other more and accept each other better,” concludes Nathalie Leroux.
date: 2026-02-11 20:04:00
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