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jakesmum

Wandering child - tracking devices

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Hello - this is my first post so forgive me if i do anything wrong! I;ve had a nightmare of a day. my 7 year old ASD son escaped this afternoon from our usually secure house. we have the builders in - and one left a door open which led to him escaping through our garage. He was eventually found over half a mile away in a car dealers car park very happy & blissfully aware of the stress he had caused, barefoot and eating gravel. I dont think i have every felt so sick as the moment I realised he had gone - absolutely terrified. Amazed how far he got himself without getting into trouble and find it unbelievable that he got so far and yet only 1 person stopped him then let him carry on as he wouldnt pay any attention to her - for crying out loud he was barefoot, it was drizzling AND he had a t-shirt on explaining he has autism - you'd think someone would think it odd!

 

ANYWAY - the reason I am posting, does anybody have any recomendations as to devices for tracking lost children - like a tagging device? Normally our house is like fort knox but this has highlighted a problem that could occur again and he has also wandered off when he has been out with his grandparents.

 

I thought about a wrist band - but if he can wander off that far barefoot without being stopped - I dont think a wrist band would be much use! I have come across a product from ionkids and noticed it has been recommended by NAA - has anyone tried it?

 

Any recommendations would be so gratefully received. thank you.

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Gosh how scary >:D<<'>

I don't have any advice at all but will be reading this thread with interest - DS is a "wanderer" and I can imagine in a few years time this could be me. We did buy some ID bracelets which you write your mobile no on but if no one actually bothers to look at them they're not much use (plus the ink ran because DS spent most of the time chewing it to try and get it off his wrist :rolleyes: )

I suppose a medical alert bracelet might be handy.

There is a toddler alarm I've seen somewhere but that alerts you if they're more than about 20 foot away - we're moving to a house with a large garden so that won't be much use as it'll be constantly going off :lol:

Shamu

;)

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Hi and welcome firstly, your son looks absaloutly gorous, I think the fact no one bats an eye lid at kids wondering the streets now adays is because some parents actually let their kids out with bare feet.

 

I have lost J before and its absaloutly terrifying because J doesnt have the kind of stranger danger issues, so I have been there scarey, gray hair instantly.

 

I think you have raised a very good issue with the fact that our children are very vulnerable because of their disabilties and I have been looking at a medi bracelet but J hates anything on his skin, wont even wear a watch, socks ect,,, not going to be very successful their, but I have been thinking about how I could get something on him I have little cards in his pocket with basic information incase he wonders or gets lost.

 

I know NAS do cards that are in a pouch but you would need to ensure they are carring it at the time they wonder.

 

I have the thought of actually doing to babies what we do to pets, with information available about disabilties, so microchipping may become a futuristic aproach but its a long way off for that for now.

 

Other than notifying the local policestation that you have a disabled child who is likely to wonder may be a good idea so that they have pre information if he goes missing again.

 

Would he wear a medi braclet or necklace, these look to be the best up to now, just google medi bracelet uk and things are available but very expensive at over �50 but we cant put a price on a child so it maybe worth it if it explains the child has Autism.

 

JsMum

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Hi! Thanks to everyone who posted and to Anna & phasmid who gave me links to the Loc8tor. I'm now trying to decide which would be best for Jake. I do wonder if we got the Loc8tor one whether he would flap it to death or just pull it off and eat the tag - we do have a major problem with things in the mouth at the moment! (A&E last week after an incident with a daffodil bulb at school last week)! I'm also not sure if the Loc8tor one is tamper proof so we wouldnt know if he did take it off. On the other hand, the one I was thinking about is tamper proof but in the form of a watch and cant be removed without a key but I sincerely doubt he will cooperate with wearing it. Think I wll try him out with his sisters watch and see if he will wear that for starters before I go spending �140 on it! Thanks again everyone.

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Maybe the watch thingy would fit around his ankle, over his sock and then it might not be so noticeable to him?

Good luck. >:D<<'>

 

~ Mel ~

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Hi and welcome firstly, your son looks absaloutly gorous, I think the fact no one bats an eye lid at kids wondering the streets now adays is because some parents actually let their kids out with bare feet.

 

I have lost J before and its absaloutly terrifying because J doesnt have the kind of stranger danger issues, so I have been there scarey, gray hair instantly.

 

I think you have raised a very good issue with the fact that our children are very vulnerable because of their disabilties and I have been looking at a medi bracelet but J hates anything on his skin, wont even wear a watch, socks ect,,, not going to be very successful their, but I have been thinking about how I could get something on him I have little cards in his pocket with basic information incase he wonders or gets lost.

 

I know NAS do cards that are in a pouch but you would need to ensure they are carring it at the time they wonder.

 

I have the thought of actually doing to babies what we do to pets, with information available about disabilties, so microchipping may become a futuristic aproach but its a long way off for that for now.

 

Other than notifying the local policestation that you have a disabled child who is likely to wonder may be a good idea so that they have pre information if he goes missing again.

 

Would he wear a medi braclet or necklace, these look to be the best up to now, just google medi bracelet uk and things are available but very expensive at over �50 but we cant put a price on a child so it maybe worth it if it explains the child has Autism.

 

JsMum

 

Hi JsMum, thanks for the warm welcome. I think the Medi bracelets are a good idea - assuming someone stops and picks him up. I did have a little tag that went on his zip of his coat but he chewed it off and I havent replaced it yet !!! But then again in another situation like this he wouldnt be wearing his coat - I guess something as simple as a label in/on his clothes with his & our name, address, phone number and that he has Autism could possibly be a good idea.

 

I still cant quite believe he got as far as he did without being aprehended by someone - it's frightening! He was wearing a big baggy t-shirt with a big rainbow smile which shouts - "Hello - I HAVE AUTISM please be patient with me" across the front - I dont know why i put it on him yesterday, I had no plans to take him out as he was off school - sick. Maybe the fact he had the t-shirt on actually was part of the reason people didnt stop him?! Perhaps people read the t-shirt and just thought it was normal behaviour for him?

 

My deepest concern yesterday when I realised he was missing was that he would get run over. He (appears) to have no real road sense and tends to just run off with his head down oblivious to everything and everyone so we always hold on to him tightly when we are out. We have talked to him about it and how upset we were because we thought we had lost him and wouldnt see him again and how he must not go out on his own, I'm not sure how much this sank in - as far as Jake is concerned I know EVERYTHING he is thinking and where he is all the time. I did get a huge hug, a kiss and an "I'm sorry - I love you!" (little sweetie).

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Maybe the watch thingy would fit around his ankle, over his sock and then it might not be so noticeable to him?

Good luck. >:D<<'>

 

~ Mel ~

 

Hi Mel - Good idea but unfortunately it needs to make contact with the skin - if it doesnt make contact with skin an alarm goes off as it thinks it has been taken or broken off. I think I'm going to give the Loc8tor a go - if we "lose" or damage the tags you can get replacement ones - I'll just have to be discrete as to where I tag him so he doesnt flap/chew it..

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Hi and welcome to the forum, your boy looks so cute! don;t really have any advice to offer just wanted to say hi, i read your post with interest as my dd would wander given half a chance and this is something that terrifys me. I hope you find a suitable solution let us know how you get on.x

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Hi, welcome to the forum, your little boy is beautiful :wub: I hope you manage to find something suitable, our youngest dd would of wandered off when she was younger, but she's quite afraid about coming across any strangers now, including the neighbours, so tends to stay close.

 

Take care

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