[Quiltin'Mom]

Background: I have a special needs child. She has global developmental delays with speech being the primary issue. She is also tiny for her age.

I am concerned that she will get lost in a crowd. She is able to walk and get about fine, but if she were to get lost she would not be able to communicate her name or any of our information to anyone. She can talk, but not with the clarity that most people can understand.

I am considering getting a medical ID bracelet for her with her name on it and mine and my DH's cell phone numbers engraved on it.

Am I being paranoid? It looks like the bracelet I am looking at will be around $70. It is girly and frilly looking so she will love it, but it also serves the purpose of our information on the back.

What do you think?

 

[CookieLee]

If you can afford it and she'd wear it, she is probably old enough that you should consider it.

 

[Ramona]

You're not being paranoid, you're being sensible. I think it's a wonderful idea to keep her safe and give you piece of mind.

 

[zakity]

I think it is a fabulous idea! You also might include some of her issues or a "call for list of issues" sort of thing.

 

[Spirit Deer]

Would she be able to show someone who was trying to help her the back of the bracelet, so the helper would know the info was there? If it looks too much like just regular jewelry, would the average person know there was something on the back?

When our kids were little a lot of people bought stainless steel ID bracelets with all that info on the front, but now that's frowned upon because of pedophiles and ID thieves. But if she can show someone the back of the bracelet with the info, I think it's an excellent idea. She would probably feel more secure too.

 

[Quiltin'Mom]

I think we could teach her to show it to someone. It has the standard medical alert symbol on it so I think any sort of authority, police, EMS people would certainly look at it. I think the average adult would eventually look at it if they were trying to get info out of her.

I'm considering just putting her first name on there and then Mom with my cell phone number and on the next line Dad and DH's cell phone number. I don't see any reason why someone would need her last name. They would be able to trace our cell phone numbers if they need a last name.

She is allergic to penicillin and zithromax (both antibiotics) and I again don't think that needs to be disclosed on there. Either of us would be available by cell phones and would be able to relay that info. I don't think an antibiotic is something that they would use before being able to reach us in the case of an emergency. My DS and I are also allergic to penicillin and we don't wear medical alert bracelets. None of us have severe reactions, just break out in to a rash and get real itchy. No airway problems or anything. Anyone work in the medical field think I am wrong? I'm open for suggestions.

I also don't think I'll list speech delays or anything else. That is obvious the moment she speaks. Again, if you think I am wrong, please speak up.

THANKS for the reassurance. A couple of weeks ago she slipped away in a crowd. She was only a few steps away from me, but I couldn't put my eyes on her. I was horrified even though it was only a few seconds. It got me thinking that she wouldn't be able to communicate and tell anyone her name or anything about us.

 

[Spirit Deer]

If it has the medical alert symbol, that should be all that's needed so people know to look further. I don't know about putting her first name on there. Maybe just MOM and your number and DAD and his number instead. The advice I've seen is not to put a child's first name on backpacks or jackets or anything, because a nefarious stranger can walk up to the child, call her by name, and act like he's a friend of yours or something. Kids are more likely to trust people who seem to know them. I guess it depends on how paranoid you are about that sort of thing.

If she has allergies, I'd include that info because flukes happen and for whatever reason you both may not be immediately available. It's important for medical personnel to know ASAP not to treat her with those drugs.

I think it's good insurance to get her the bracelet.

I have a drug allergy that gives me a rash, too, but I was under the impression it can become more serious without warning. But I'm not trained in medicine so I could be wrong.

I don't know how old your daughter is, but our youngest was a wanderer and while she was never really lost, she was hard to keep track of sometimes. I finally clipped a dog leash to the back belt loop on her jeans when we were in a crowd. She loved it because she didn't have to listen to the entire family telling her to come back where we were all the time. It lowered everyone's stress level and kept her safe. I'm sure it wouldn't work for an older child. Our girl was around six at the time.

 

[Quiltin'Mom]

Count me as paranoid. I don't put my kid's full names on anything. I always do initials to identify their coats, backpacks etc. I'm re-thinking about putting her first name on it since you mentioned that. That is one great fear I have with her is that she doesn't know a stranger. She is only 5 years old so has that natural trust in everyone, but she seems to have no fear of anyone above and beyond what any other child would have.

I have seen kids with leashes on and I just don't think I could do that. I struggle with letting her have a little independence and chancing her disappearing in a crowd, but I just don't think I could do that. She doesn't typically wonder off on purpose, it is more that she gets distracted and isn't watching us. Honestly we still use the stroller for her if we are going to be doing a lot of walking. She is just so little and wears out and it helps us to keep track of her.

THANKS for helping me think through this.

 

[Spirit Deer]

I know some people have problems with putting a kid on a leash, but for us it was a safety issue. Ours didn't purposely wander off either, just was easily distracted and would go with anyone.

The ones that are commercially available aren't called leashes. They have some other name that's less pet-like and more politically correct, but there was nothing commercially available when our kids were little, so we just used a leash.

As I said, our daughter loved it because she didn't have to hold hands all the time which she got tired of and so did we, she had her hands free, and she didn't have to waste her time paying attention to where we were and we weren't constantly having to remind her to stay with us. We never dragged her along or did anything disrespectful to her or anything like that, so it was never unpleasant for her. For us, it was an insurance policy because of her emotional issues and because we lived in a large metro area where her getting lost could have been very dangerous.

I think the leash actually gave her MORE independence because she could be a little ways away from us rather than having to be right next to us holding our hands every second. She could hold hands if she wanted, but she could also lag behind or walk ahead. I think that's why she liked it. She felt safe knowing we were still physically connected and she would not get lost, yet she could be looking at whatever interested her and not have to have eyes on us all the time instead of enjoying the zoo animals or whatever.

 

[quiltingmommy]

Get a Road ID. They only cost about 20 and you can get them in many colors. my husband wears one all the time. he was very ill for over 3 months and wears it in case he gets dizzy or sick while on the road. you can add up to 5 lines on the tag.

 

[quiltingmommy]

here is the link:

Road ID® USA's #1 Source for Runners ID, Cycling ID & Medical ID Tags

you can add anything, just her initials, your phone numbers, any allergies, etc.

 

[bonnotsm9]

We have a special needs daughter who was unable to communicate well due to her autism. She went through a spell twice where she'd give up the slip on purpose. We took her to the local law enforcement office and told them who she was, what her disability was (autism), and gave them our contact info. They took her picture so if she were picked up or went missing they'd know who she was. She did slip away from us one time after that. They called us and we picked her up. We went this route over an id bracelet because dd was not able to speak well and would have taken a bracelet off. Dd was pretty extreme in her running away, though.

I'd make sure and carry a very recent picture of her with me on my phone or in my purse, so if she gets away from you somewhere you can show people her picture. Dd decided to use the potty on her own at the library when she was four. I thought she was with dh; dh thought she was with me. When we discovered neither of us had her, we searched the entire building and were on the verge of panic. Then out she pops from the men's bathroom unharmed. Neither of us thought to look there. Dd couldn't read, so she just went in the first bathroom she found. We wished we'd had had a current picture of her to show people when searching (this was pre-cell phone days).

 

[Quiltin'Mom]

here is the link:

Road ID® USA's #1 Source for Runners ID, Cycling ID & Medical ID Tags

you can add anything, just her initials, your phone numbers, any allergies, etc.

THANKS for the link. I think those look like she would be able to get one of those off. She has a tendancy to take off bracelets and whatever else and loose them. The bracelet I am looking at for her is stainless steel with a clasp that she won't be able to get off, I'm pretty sure anyway. She doesn't have the dexterity or strength in her fingers to be able to open it. I'm hoping anyway. :laugh:

 

[frugalwarrior2]

special needs

Actually sometimes ins. will pay so you might check. I would also give her a cell phone w/ the tracking device. She doesnt have to tyoe or talk into it but you could find her in a crowd or away from home.

 

[zakity]

The leashes for kids are called "harnesses". We used them. I had twins and a child two years older than the twins. And, one of the twins was a "runner". Yeah, harnesses saved our butts lots of times.

 

[Spirit Deer]

I know they're controversial, but I've never really understood why. People restrain kids in all sorts of ways, seat belts in cars, strollers, shopping carts, etc., in car seats, with baby gates and playpens, holding their hands, etc. That's just another tool to keep a child safe.

Good idea about checking insurance. I'd have never thought of that.

 

[frugalwarrior2]

I used a wrist strap w/ DD and she liked her mall bracelet. It was like a bungee not a harness. The only danger was someone inadvertently walking in between and knocking her down (she was 2). I used it because she would wander when she saw pretty things.
LOL, Tried to use it on Ds. He popped if off in 3 sec.
I see nothing wrong w/ them. The people that criticize are the same people that never had 3 toddlers at the mall!

 

[Spirit Deer]

I never liked the idea of the wrist strap. It just seemed like it bothered the kid, the ones I saw in use. But for those that didn't mind it, it makes sense.

Everyone has to make up their own minds what's right for their kids, of course.

 

[McD]

I know it doesn't really help with the discussion of the bracelet for your daughter (I think that is a great idea by the way), but wanted to throw out an option that some people might find useful:

FBI — Child ID App

The FBI created a free app that allows you to store a recent pic of your child along with any information you feel comfortable provide (height/weight/scars/birthmarks/nicknames, etc). It is inactive unless you physically send it to the Natl Center for Missing Exploited Children or the FBI.

I update ours any time we are going somewhere with a crowd (science center, zoo, every single day we were at Disney).

 

[frugalwarrior2]

Spiritdeer- just depends on how you play it too.DD thougth it was something special so she left it on and I could do it loose. Also I usually put it over her sleeve so it didnt rub. It does just have to line up w/ the kid. A boy would prob. wear it if it had a spiderman web so he could pretend web everyone.lol
I remember my cousin saying it sucked and that it was like you had a dog on a leash. I also remember she begging me 15 min. later when she had lost her DD in a clothes rack hiding.(please dont tell my DH!!!).

I think the ID thing is a great idea too. I would do it all. Label her clothes,teach her key words like I AM LOST.
I actually hid one time where I could see Ds and he couldnt see me. I scared him just enough that he stayed w/ me. He had started to develop that run ahead thing and ignore mom. Yes.it was mean but mean 5 min love beats losing them.