Medic Alert pendant?

[Violet Crown]

Does anybody have, or would you consider, one of those medic-alert pendants for your dc?

 

We're abroad right now. On the way through the airport, Wee Girl, who is selectively mute, triggered the TSA's random check. The agent pulled her and me aside, wiped my hands for explosive residue, asked me her name, and then turned to her and asked her "Is your name [Wee Girl]?" Of course she couldn't answer, just crumpled into herself in her usual way. The agent looked hard at me, asked her another question (I don't recall what it was) and got the same silence. The agent was obviously very unhappy about this and I quickly said "She's very shy, she doesn't talk much" - it didn't seem like the time for explanations about disabling anxiety disorders. The agent had another look at our passports and then passed us through, but I was pretty shaken; I realized that the TSA might easily have insisted on taking Wee Girl off by herself and questioning her, which would have been disastrous.

 

So. I thought it might help with future situations with law enforcement (especially the pseudo-cop kind) if Wee Girl had a medic-alert tag: maybe just her name, my phone number, and "mutism." It had already occurred to me that if she got lost she would have a tough time saying who she was; the TSA incident, though, made me realize that some authority figure might actually find her inability to confirm her identity suspicious.

 

Any thoughts?

[geodob]

I'm involved with a childhood speech apraxia group, where this subject is often raised.

While it's very helpful if she gets lost, it's also really helpful if she happens to get injured in some way.

It would also help reduce her anxiety about being asked her name? If she knows that she can show them her medic-alert tag.

Authority figures might interpret her not giving her name, as being defiant?

Where being able to show them a medic-alert tag, would help them to understand that she's not refusing.

 

But perhaps the 'peace of mind' that it will give you, will be the greatest benefit?

[Violet Crown]

Yes, these were my thoughts, too. Actually I've been trying to figure out why I feel so reluctant about it; and I think it's in great part not wanting to 'medicalize' her anxieties. Which is silly, but there it is.

[Plink]

I never thought of a medic alert, but the idea is brilliant. When traveling my daughter wears an engraved necklace (okay, so it is a dog tag strung with lots of beautiful beads) that has our cell phone number on it. She is another crumpler - stressful situations are not conducive to remembering important information.

[mamatohaleybug]

^{Seems like a great idea! I understand your hesitation, though.}

[oceanseve]

I have road ids for all of my older girls just in case they get lost.

 

http://www.roadid.com/Common/default.aspx?utm_source=Bing_Ads&utm_medium=Text&utm_campaign=Road_ID&referrer=8942

 

I think it makes sense to have one for the kids without speech issues as well. You never know what might happen. I wasn't very good about putting them on them until we went to a museum last fall. My speech delayed child got bored and decided to start running away from me. I lost her for a couple of minutes (it was my first time at this museum and I didn't know the layout very well. Shame on me. Lesson learned to seriously look over map before hand). One of the employees was suspicious that I wasn't her mother. Fortunately another employee had seen me with her earlier and smoothed things over quickly before things could have turned really awful.

[Arcadia]

So. I thought it might help with future situations with law enforcement (especially the pseudo-cop kind) if Wee Girl had a medic-alert tag: maybe just her name, my phone number, and "mutism." It had already occurred to me that if she got lost she would have a tough time saying who she was; the TSA incident, though, made me realize that some authority figure might actually find her inability to confirm her identity suspicious.

I prefer a medic alert bracelet to a medic alert pendant. One reason is that if it unintentionally trigger the metal scanners at any airports, it would be easy for the airport scanner personnel to just scan the bracelet. My spectacles/glasses had triggered a few scanners overseas. Another reason is because it is just easier to point to a bracelet if I can't speak than to pull out the pendant.

Another option is medic alert key chains. You can attach those to her jacket zipper pull or to a bag.

ETA:

My older boy have traits of SM, obvious enough to be unofficially accommodated but not serious enough to be "labeled". People we met know something is off, but are not familiar with SM or mutism. It was easier explaining that he just takes a very long time to warm up and talk.

[Violet Crown]

 

I prefer a medic alert bracelet to a medic alert pendant. One reason is that if it unintentionally trigger the metal scanners at any airports, it would be easy for the airport scanner personnel to just scan the bracelet. My spectacles/glasses had triggered a few scanners overseas. Another reason is because it is just easier to point to a bracelet if I can't speak than to pull out the pendant.

Another option is medic alert key chains. You can attach those to her jacket zipper pull or to a bag.

ETA:

My older boy have traits of SM, obvious enough to be unofficially accommodated but not serious enough to be "labeled". People we met know something is off, but are not familiar with SM or mutism. It was easier explaining that he just takes a very long time to warm up and talk.

I agree, a bracelet would be much more practical; but she won't wear anything on her wrist, while she doesn't mind something around her neck.

 

Wee Girl's mutism is pretty severe; she simply can't talk to anyone outside her immediate family. It took grandparents and her beloved cello teacher (the mother of her friend) over a year of visiting with her frequently before she was able to speak to them at all. She'll speak to children her age or younger, though, which gratifyingly keeps expanding her list of acceptable people as she gets older.

[Violet Crown]

I have road ids for all of my older girls just in case they get lost.

 

http://www.roadid.com/Common/default.aspx?utm_source=Bing_Ads&utm_medium=Text&utm_campaign=Road_ID&referrer=8942

 

I think it makes sense to have one for the kids without speech issues as well. You never know what might happen. I wasn't very good about putting them on them until we went to a museum last fall. My speech delayed child got bored and decided to start running away from me. I lost her for a couple of minutes (it was my first time at this museum and I didn't know the layout very well. Shame on me. Lesson learned to seriously look over map before hand). One of the employees was suspicious that I wasn't her mother. Fortunately another employee had seen me with her earlier and smoothed things over quickly before things could have turned really awful.

Yes that's the kind of scenario that scares me. People today are so primed to see child abductors lurking in every van that anything they're unfamiliar becomes suspicious.

[Hypatia.]

I ordered one of the Road ID bracelets for my 3 year old. While he does have a handful of words, not all of them are intelligible and he certainly wouldn't be able to tell anyone his name. He isn't usually a runner but there have been a couple times he has nearly darted into the wrong elevator.

[Dmmetler]

Even for my DD, who isn't speech delayed or SM, but tends to panic easily, I make sure she has something that has my cell phone number and name on it that she can just pull out-because I can so easily see her getting upset and being unable to remember it or say it herself. And especially for travel, having some sort of ID for a child with communication issues could really make things easier-DD gets asked her name and who she is traveling with in every airport, and while she's able to handle it, I could see it really leading TSA to be questioning if she couldn't answer.

[Violet Crown]

Right, I've now ordered the Road ID in purple, in the hope that Wee Girl will like that enough to wear a wristband. They're very inexpensive! When I get back to the US, I'll get the MedicAlert pendant as well.

 

Thank you all!

[Arcadia]

I agree, a bracelet would be much more practical; but she won't wear anything on her wrist, while she doesn't mind something around her neck.

Another thing you can try is letting your daughter wear a lanyard with those name badge holders. I have a collection of lanyards from conferences because of work and it is useful when there is a need to show ID. My guys ex-colleagues use the lanyards as fashion statement :)

ETA:

My 7 year old has a pocket watch instead of a wrist watch because of sensory issues. Hubby won't wear a wrist watch either and use his cellphone.

[Violet Crown]

Oh yes, I'll try anything that can get her to keep an ID on. She already likes to wear her religious medal on a chain around her neck, and seemed receptive to the idea of my adding a tag with her name on it to the chain. I'd considered getting a medal with ID engraved on the back, but for some reason that's desperately expensive - except for St. Francis medals, which can be cheaply engraved with ID information. Because they're for dog collars. Too bad she doesn't want to change out her medal for St. Francis.

 

She doesn't have any sensory issues - she just dislikes bracelets or sleeves that dangle, because they get in her way. I think the Livestrong-style ID bands might be permissible, however.