Safety items - beeper, gps types

[dtsmamtj]

Anyone have experience with using a devise to keep child from roaming too far away?

 

T

[Guest sunniechild]

I saw something once about a gps tracking device that you can put on your child like a necklace or watch....google it..its out there.

 

[Marie131]

We ordered the hereO watch.  I don't have it yet, it was pre-ordered.  I am expecting it in Dec.  I chose that one b/c I was able to order a locking mechanism so that my child can't take it off (and lose it!).  www.hereofamily.com

[Lecka]

I haven't got a device, but working with a behavior therapist has helped a tremendous amount.  He has been able to learn some physical boundaries, and to look back to see how far he is from me.  

 

For him it was easiest to teach at home, b/c the boundaries were the same place, and we could tell him exactly what the boundary was.  We marked the edges of the front yard with a rope for a while, to teach him what the edge was.  

 

It is still a problem when we travel, and he doesn't have a good instinct.  But for familiar places he does know boundaries, and for things where we are walking, he does know to look back and keep track of others.  It does take some reminders but he does listen to the reminders.  

 

For us -- a device would only go so far.  It would not keep him from running in a street or parking lot, iykwim.  

 

He also had a big requesting program to teach him to be able to request things, so that if he was trying to get something or go somewhere, he could ask instead.  Also, first/then and "waiting" so that he could understand he could do something later.  

 

But there was also a period of time when we were working on teaching these skills, but he had not learned them yet -- it is not like it worked immediately.

 

But this is something a behavior therapist can help over a longer period of time.  It was months of working on it, but once it started to click, it was so good, and now he can have a lot of freedom of movement b/c I am not worried about him taking off.  

 

If he wanders from home -- I was considering installing a motion alarm, so you know when he/she leaves.  

 

I also don't know the age -- but my son's behavior therapist also does programs to help kids tolerate wearing medical bracelets.  It is again something where it might take months, and maybe there are not months to wait, but you have a child who is cooperatively wearing a medical bracelet.   We did this program for sunscreen, and my son will put on his own sunscreen now.  It is SHOCKING because he used to HATE it.  He started with putting tiny amounts of plain lotion on his arm, and worked up from there.  Now he puts sunscreen on his own cheeks and rubs it in.  He still needs help to get it even and around his nose and right under his eyes -- but it is like night and day from how it used to be. 

[Lecka]

http://nationalautismassociation.org/docs/BigRedSafetyToolkit.pdf

 

This is a link I have looked at before and gotten some ideas.  

 

 

[Lecka]

http://www.autismspeaks.org/sites/default/files/docs/stop_sign_prompts.pdf

 

This is something I have heard good things about and know is done in my community and at my son's school.  It is not what we are doing with my son, but we may add it later.  He does not have the same set of issues as some kids.  

 

But they teach kids "stop" and "go" and have "stop" and "go" laminates.  Then when they are out, they can use the "stop" laminate when they need the child to "stop."  

 

Also when people go to a new place, they can just tape up the "stop" sign at the new place.  For this -- first you might need to practice with taking the "stop" signs around to some places to practice, to give more practice, and then when you see that your child is getting the "stop" sign and obeying it at different places, you can feel confident in using it at a new place.  

 

With my son we do this thing where I trace a line with my hand.  This is what we have practiced consistently and he knows it now.  I also used to carry a jump rope and set it down and he would know not to cross the jump rope (we taught this in my own yard).  

 

If you were local to me -- I would say, with just a consultation with a behavior therapist you could be set up with some personalized programs to work on to teach whatever skill the behavior therapist would recommend.  But even with that -- it takes a while to learn, and in the meantime kids need to stay safe.  I know even with all of this, there are still kids who wander, too, and do just have to be watched any time they are in a new place or in a place where they might want to leave b/c they don't like it.  If there is a pattern to wandering that is suspected to be b/c of wanting to leave something or get away from something, this is something where a behavior therapist might be able to help figure out what the stimulus is (if it is something sensory, etc).  But this was not the case with my son, so for him maybe not so complicated.  He just didn't understand the rules and then he still has trouble generalizing to new places so it is still something we are working on.  

 

But good luck!  It is so, so stressful to have a child who is wandering.  I used to think it would go on forever, but it is improved so much.  But I don't feel like it is something that will never come up again.  But I think as he learns more and more skills it will keep getting bigger.  Now he could tell his name and address to someone if he got lost, for example, which is a huge difference.  

[dtsmamtj]

Thank you!!

 

My daughter is 10 and has DS.  She is considered high functioning in many areas, including independence.  

 

T

[cherylswope]

Anyone have experience with using a devise to keep child from roaming too far away?

 

T

 

After one of my daughter's roaming incidents years ago, the pediatrician recommended a permanent medical I.D. bracelet.

 

Both of my twins (autism & more) now wear bracelets engraved front & back with my phone number, their doctor's name, conditions, and key medications. My children remove these only for MRI's or surgeries.

 

 

As referenced above, this might be something to consider for extra safety, along with the other suggestions you received.

 

If interested, we found engraved medical bracelets here. [A tip - we attempted to save money with the first order, but the engraved bracelets endure much longer than other options. The company offers promotions via email, including a 4-day holiday sale this weekend.]

 

 

Cheryl

 

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