Autistic people in EMS

Post Reply New Topic

Anybody here an Autistic EMT or Paramedic? I'm about to take my NREMT's and I was just wondering how many Autistic people work in EMS. It seems like there are so many reasons why it'd be a difficult field for us.

Not an EMT, but I am a member of CERT and have done support in ultrarunning events, dealing with various emergencies. This is of course a vast overgeneralization, but I think focus and some degree of detachment is very valuable in emergency medicine. I will say that a person who is screaming and thrashing is a real challenge to help, but not just for us. Hopefully a partner can subdue and soothe the screamer while you work. If you can develop coping strategies to deal with the noise, you should be a real asset when those around you who can't stay focused. Best of luck!

I'm not with EMS but I am a first responder at work (and I went through EMT training several years ago...never certified, though) so maybe my perspective will help. It can get chaotic, but the thing to remember is that assessing and treating a patient is a methodical process. There are certain steps to be performed in a certain order, and that helps me keep focus.

Since you're getting ready to take the exams I'm going to presume you've already done your clinicals. This should've given you a pretty good idea of what to expect. Although, when I went through my training there were people in my class who hardly went on any calls whereas I got 6 calls on an 8-hour shift. I was very nervous, but, like I said, I followed the process and was able to help care for the patients.

I've found that as long as the initial training was good, I can handle stressful situations fairly well.

As AnnaLemma said, a certain amount of detachment is very beneficial and will help when you do your patient assessments.

I knew someone who went through the NREMT exam a few years ago and she said the most important thing about the practical exam is to go step by step. Don't skip a step presuming it's implied you would do it in a real situation.

I hope this helps. Good luck!