FAMILY GUIDE
Going to hospital
with your child
A hospital visit can be a lot for any child. The noise, the waiting, the new faces and the not knowing what comes next can tip an already hard day into an impossible one. For a neurodivergent child, all of that lands harder.
This page brings together the tools that make it easier. Social stories, sensory supports, and what each hospital offers, so you can prepare your child before you go or know what to ask for when you get there.
Built with neurodivergent kids in mind. Useful for every child.
Who this page is for
You might be here because you have a planned appointment in a few weeks. Or a scan, a procedure, or day surgery coming up. You might be reading this in a waiting room right now, or in the car park before walking into emergency.
Whatever brought you here, these resources can help. You do not need a diagnosis to use them. If your child finds new places, waiting, or being touched and examined hard, the tools on this page are for you.
One thing worth saying up front. If you’ve met one autistic child, you’ve met ONE autistic child. You will read some of these tips and go “no way will that work for MY child”. That’s OK. Take what fits and leave the rest.
Planned visit or emergency
The two feel very different, so here’s how to approach each.
If you're heading to emergency now
Take a breath. You’re doing the right thing by getting your child seen.
When you arrive, tell triage straight away that your child is neurodivergent and what they need.
Ask if there’s a quieter place to wait. Use comfort and sensory items from your pack.
Waiting can be long and that’s normal, so settle in with something to do and let staff know if your child’s distress is escalating.
If you have a planned visit
You have time on your side.
Read through a social story together in the days before.
Call ahead to ask about wait times, quiet spaces and what to bring.
Pack your sensory items and your one-page profile the night before.
Prepare your child in whatever way works for them, whether that’s counting down the days or only telling them on the morning.
Is it urgent, rather than an emergency?
You can go to an urgent care service if you need urgent medical attention that’s not life-threatening, and you can’t wait to see your GP.
The types of injuries or illness you can get treated for include:
- fevers and infections
- vomiting and dehydration
- cuts, wounds and burns
- breaks, sprains and tears
Visit Kinkaya Urgent Care (Innaloo) 🔗
Urgent Care Clinic 8am to 10pm daily
On-site x-ray & pathology services
Phone WAVEDKids on 1800 633 422
WA's virtual emergency department for children Available 10.30am to 8pm - 7 days
Urgent mental health support for young people
Phone CAMHS Crisis Connect 1800 048 636
Phone and online videocall support for children and young people who are experiencing a mental health crisis, as well as support and advice to families, carers and professionals in the community.
This includes:
- Specialist urgent tele-mental health support
- Crisis management
- Face to face mental health and risk assessment at PCH Emergency Department or via telehealth
- Follow up within 24 hours of receiving an assessment or discharge from PCH
For 18+ years phone the Mental Health Emergency Response Line on 1300 555 788
Before you go
A bit of preparation can take the edge off the unknown, which is often the hardest part. None of this is a checklist you have to get right. They’re options.
Walk through it first
Social stories are simple step-by-step picture guides that show your child what will happen, one stage at a time. Reading one a few times before the day means fewer surprises on the day. Perth Children's Hospital has a full library you can print at home, linked below.
Pack for comfort and sensory needs
Headphones or earplugs, a favourite toy or comfort item, fidgets, snacks and a drink, a change of clothes, and something to do during long waits. A charged tablet or device earns its place.
Tell them before they need to know
You know your child best. Let staff know early what helps and what makes things worse. What words to use, what to avoid, how your child shows pain or distress, and what calms them. You can write it down beforehand so you're not explaining it while managing a meltdown.
Ask about the practical stuff
Quiet spaces, expected wait times, whether you can wait somewhere less busy, and parking. A quick phone call before a planned visit can answer most of this.
Plan for the wait
Waiting is often the hardest part for kids. Bring more to do than you think you'll need, and prepare your child that waiting is normal and not a sign anything has gone wrong.
Find resources by hospital
Go straight to the hospital you’re heading to.
Social stories library
PCH has a free library of step-by-step picture guides, built for neurodivergent children and helpful for all kids. Each one comes as an A4 printout and as a flip book you can print, cut and staple to flip through one step at a time.
- My Visit to ED
- Who We Might Meet in ED
- Reasons We May Have to Wait in the ED
- I Need a Cannula
- I Need an X-ray
- I Need an Abdominal Ultrasound
- I Need to Have Nitrous Gas Sedation
- I Can Use Buzzy Bee When I Have My Needle
- I Can Choose What Comforts Me
- Plus guides for immunisations, taking medicine, eye drops, casts, ear and throat exams and more
Emergency department neurodiversity support
PCH's emergency department has sensory supports and staff who can help. If your child is anxious, ask the treating team about a social story on the day and let triage know early what your child needs.
↗ PCH coming to emergencyPlanned appointments and stays
PCH has its own pages explaining what to expect at an outpatient appointment, coming in for a procedure, and staying overnight. The What Matters to Me poster is a simple way to tell staff what helps your child.
↗ PCH for patients and visitorsGetting around
Check the hospital map and accessible facilities pages before you go, so you know where to park and where the quieter spaces are.
Older children and teens sometimes attend Fiona Stanley or Fremantle. These are general hospitals, so they don't have a children's social story library, but they do have access supports worth knowing about.
Hidden Disabilities Sunflower
A discreet lanyard or pin that signals your child has a disability that may not be visible, and may need more time, patience or understanding. Staff across the hospital group are trained to recognise it. You can ask for one.
Disability health profile
An admission form that records your child's disability and specific needs, so staff understand how to support them without you having to repeat it to everyone.
↗ South Metropolitan Health Service — supporting people with disabilityThe NEST Program is a free 1:1 session designed to help familiarise your child or young adult with the emergency department — what it looks like, what happens there, and what they might need to do if they ever need to visit when they're unwell.
Think of it as a practice run, without the stress of an actual emergency.
Who it's for
- Children and young adults up to 30 years old
- Those who have St John of God Midland as their local hospital
- Neurodivergent individuals and/or those with an intellectual disability
- Anyone who finds new environments or medical settings overwhelming or dysregulating
How to register
To register or find out more, email Clinical Nurse (Emergency Department) Maddie at: MI.NEST@sjog.org.au
Most general and regional hospitals don't have child-specific social stories, but you can still prepare and ask for support. When you arrive, it's worth:
- Telling triage or reception early that your child is neurodivergent
- Asking whether there's a quieter space to wait
- Asking if they use the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower
- Bringing a PCH social story with you — the steps are often similar even at a different hospital
If you're not sure what your local hospital offers, call ahead before a planned visit and ask.
After the hospital, finding ongoing support
A hospital visit often raises new questions. What now, who else should we see, where do we even start.
Perth Kids Hub is here for exactly that. Our directory helps you find paediatricians, occupational therapists, speech pathologists, psychologists and physios across WA, so you can find the right support for your child without ringing 30 clinics.
Perth Kids Hub is a directory and information platform. We are not a hospital or a healthcare provider, and nothing on this page is medical advice. Always follow the advice of your child’s treating team.
In an emergency, call 000 or go to your nearest emergency department.
The resources here are linked from the hospitals themselves and can change over time, so check the hospital’s own page for the latest information.