Single Mother of Autism

It is every parent’s nightmare to turn around and their young child not to be standing beside them. However for the parent of an Autistic child this nightmare can turn into a real-life horror story very quickly. For a child with communication delays cannot explain they are lost, or inform an adult of their names, what their parent looks like, or any other information to help identify the missing guardian. Unfortunately the older the Autistic child gets, the less likely a concerned adult will step in and make sure they are not lost. Though on the outside they may appear old enough to be wandering about on their own, emotionally and mentally they may be like a curious toddler who is unaware of dangerous situations or people.

There will be times in which a young child will not be able to be safely confined to a shopping cart. Trips to the Zoo, going for a walk, malls, ect. For the toddler, or a small built child, a backpack harness may be an easy way to allow your child to walk beside you. The sturdy backpack straps fit over the shoulders and strap across the chest and stomach. Generally these are shaped into a cute animal, with a pocket the child can place personal items inside. A leash attaches to the backpack, often to be the “tail” of the animal. This enables your child to walk freely beside you, giving them proper room to explore their environment around them, but also teaching them boundaries. The pull of the leash in your hand alerts you when they may be wondering too far. The leash can also be removed for times you feel you may trust your child. The downfall to these harnesses is that a child generally outgrows them by the age 5. Another thing to consider is that often you must have a tough skin. Strangers often like to make comments about you placing a leash on your child like a dog. Especially if your child likes to occasionally pretend to be a dog and crawl along leading you with the leash. Often though other parents may corner you for details on where you purchased the back pack and questions about if it works well for your child. These backpack harnesses can be found generally at department stores, as well as online. Harness Backpack on Amazon.

Child Locating devices are gaining popularity. Duracell and Brickhouse have come together in a commercial which can currently be seen on television. This child locator device features a GPS function that will actually help lead you to your child. Arrows light up pointing the direction to the other piece, which would be placed on or with your child. Other features include an alert when your child may be wandering too away from you, and a panic button the child may press if they find themselves lost or scared. This device is wonderful for environments like the park. While you want to teach your Autistic child some independence and allow them to interact socially with other children, you still worry that they may see something interesting such as a puppy or children playing further away and run off. The major downfall to the Brickhouse Child Locator is the price of nearly $200. For parents battling medical and therapy bills, and those who are unable to work, often there is a price too steep for the welfare of their children. For those able to afford a device like this, it is recommended over all other locators. Brickhouse Child Locator on Amazon.

A cheaper version of a child locator with the ability to visually lead you to your child is made by Levana. Cost for one of these locators ranges from $50-90 dollars. This device consists of a wrist piece that is much like a watch. The parent piece is a small hand held remote-like device that features LED lights which would blink and point you in the direction of the child. The rate of blinking lights and beeps are faster according to the amount of distance between you and the child. Like the Brickhouse locator, the Levana can alert you to when your child may be wandering too far, as well as a panic button he or she may press. A perk to this system is that the watch portion is rechargeable rather than taking traditional batteries which needs replaced. Levana Child Locator on Amazon.

There are alternatives to the locators, lacking GPS features, at lower costs, often able to be purchased for under $20. These are simple two part devices that allow the parent to press a button and from the child’s attachment a loud beep is emitted, allowing you to hear and locate your child up to about 150 feet. The piece that fits on the child can vary from a little plastic teddy bear or a little bug that can clip onto a shoe, belt loop, or backpack. The adult remote generally fits on a key-chain. One disadvantage to this design is that a loud beep could frighten a young child, or one sensitive to sensory input such as sudden loud auditory input. Teddy Bear Child Locator.

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