Let’s talk about GPS for kids with Autism or, for that matter, any kid who tends to wander or elope.
It has happened to all parents at one point or another… you’re out at the store or a festival and you blink for one second. In that one second, your child is gone.
Maybe they saw a toy they wanted.
Or they were caught up in the crowd.
What if they went with a stranger…
You have no idea and you can feel your blood run cold. Most of the time, things work out okay. They end up just a few yards away looking at candies or toys. Sometimes, they wander a little further and realize you’re no longer with them. They find an adult or security guard to ask for help.
Very rarely does the unthinkable happen.
Every parent shares this experience. BUT… as a parent of a child with Autism, there is nothing more frightening than losing your kid. They often don’t have the language skills to ask for help. Or they lack the social awareness to realize something is wrong. They may use maladaptive coping skills when they realize they’re lost, cause a scene, and have to deal with police or security in a much graver way.
That’s why it’s scarier losing a child when your child has a disability.
GPS for Autism
A handful of times I’ve join in a search for a missing student. Those precious minutes after a child with a disability has wandered off seem to stretch out forever. In the worst case, a student of mine wandered miles away. They crossed over a major city highway. Anything could have happened to them.
Over time, I wanted to make a recommendation to parents who have kids with Autism that wander. I wanted both of us to have a sense of security and some kind of guarantee that, when the inevitable happens, we have some kind of game plan. Some way to make sure they get home okay.
Tech That Helps with Wandering
That’s when I found AngelSense. If you are like me and want something to share with parents who struggle with a child who wanders, then check out my review and share this article with them. If an elderly parent struggles with dementia or Alzheimer’s and they easily get lost or wanders, please… share this with them too.
Let’s stop the stress and instill some peace of mind to those who are afraid of losing their child with Autism or parent with dementia. In all the cases where I went out to look for a child, none have ended up dead… but all have been either cold, hungry, traumatized, or injured. In every situation, I wished we’d had a tracker for them and not lost precious minutes, hours or days aimlessly looking.
