Guest guest Posted December 15, 2007 Report Share Posted December 15, 2007 I wanted to ask you all about your experience with children roaming (escaping) from home. A is 8 years old, and we have often had to chase her down. Of course, we always thought this was just behavioral acting out before we knew about her AS. She doesn't go far, usually just around the house or neighbors, but she's usually chasing a stray cat or neighbor's dog, and has found herself in the yards and garages of our neighbors(who are nice(not) enough to call the police insteat of us). Generally, we notice her gone within 2-3 minutes, but it's often too late to keep her from being noticed. She's even gone out in icy weather without coat or shoes. One time she had a coat on and tights, and that was all! We sent her to my mother last week after she left 3 times in one day. She'll be there until Christmas, when we're spending the holiday with mom(300 miles away), then bringing her home to a virtual fortress. Her windows are now screwed shut(2nd story, my husband found her sitting in her window with legs hanging over last week as well, and the windows had no crank!) We have found alarms that will be on the outside of each of our doors, so that she cannot disarm them before they are set off(as she learned to do in the past). We have also had to attach locks to the doors of rooms that she can use to hide in, and while we're at it to the cabinets with scissors(she like to cut up furniture and curtains and hair, and pretty much anything). Are there any other parents with this problem? It is sooooo scary to me to think of what can happen in the minute or two between her getting out and us realizing it. Even setting aside the most horrible of the situations, for not wanting to speak them out loud, just the thought of another visit from the police, or worse yet, if our small town police get tired of warning us and call cps. I heard that the little boy killed by his foster parents last year in Ohio was an autistic taken away from his parents for being found walking down the street after wandering off or something(my mother told me the story, I didn't hear it 1st hand). Is there anything we can be doing that I haven't already mentioned? We discussed a whole house alarm system, but our resources are already way strained with adapting to new diet and we were strapped before we knew about her AS. Thanks so much for your ideas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 15, 2007 Report Share Posted December 15, 2007 It might be of good to contact of the CPA and inform them of you daughter and get of MRDD involved with supportingyou daughter so the systems are in place to help of the family protect of her best and are aware of the issues of her autism. YOu can also get of any local chapter of ASA in you areas to ask for assistance and guidance in for supports to you family. Dennis debut? is of a police officer who has created some good work in this areas of advocacy. Sondra Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 15, 2007 Report Share Posted December 15, 2007 It might be of good to contact of the CPA and inform them of you daughter and get of MRDD involved with supportingyou daughter so the systems are in place to help of the family protect of her best and are aware of the issues of her autism. YOu can also get of any local chapter of ASA in you areas to ask for assistance and guidance in for supports to you family. Dennis debut? is of a police officer who has created some good work in this areas of advocacy. Sondra Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 15, 2007 Report Share Posted December 15, 2007 That's a good idea, and also notifying local law enforcement, fire departments, and ERs. Just in case anyone DID find her wandering and report it, not only would the police be able to notify you quickly, but they might have a better approach to dealing with her if they are aware she is not a typical 8 year old who should " know better. " Amnesty > > It might be of good to contact of the CPA and inform them of you > daughter and get of MRDD involved with supportingyou daughter so the > systems are in place to help of the family protect of her best and are > aware of the issues of her autism. YOu can also get of any local > chapter of ASA in you areas to ask for assistance and guidance in for > supports to you family. > > Dennis debut? is of a police officer who has created some good work in > this areas of advocacy. > > Sondra > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 15, 2007 Report Share Posted December 15, 2007 That's a good idea, and also notifying local law enforcement, fire departments, and ERs. Just in case anyone DID find her wandering and report it, not only would the police be able to notify you quickly, but they might have a better approach to dealing with her if they are aware she is not a typical 8 year old who should " know better. " Amnesty > > It might be of good to contact of the CPA and inform them of you > daughter and get of MRDD involved with supportingyou daughter so the > systems are in place to help of the family protect of her best and are > aware of the issues of her autism. YOu can also get of any local > chapter of ASA in you areas to ask for assistance and guidance in for > supports to you family. > > Dennis debut? is of a police officer who has created some good work in > this areas of advocacy. > > Sondra > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 15, 2007 Report Share Posted December 15, 2007 Some fire depts around the nation are getting GPS systems and will give the ankle bracelets to families for free or a small charge. When ever child goes missing the coordinates can be looked up & child found. I would suggest you consider the Ion Kids momnitoring system at http://www.nationalautismassociation.org/products.php?cat=34 & PHPSESSID=b2f20a56f\ 8ff763bd0a9b978b7b67f6b Another thing, have you considered getting a service dog? They can be trained to herd and alert the caregiver (you or grandma) by barking. I've read that some kids stop roaming after just a couple of times, they said the dog's herding and barking was a cue to them not to go any further. I also heard of some sort of alarm where you can record a message, so like if she's heading out the door you could record it to say, " Stop, go get Mommy " or something like that, some sort of an auditory cue. Don't know if any of those would work, I hope you find something, you all must be exhausted feeling like you have to see her every second to keep her from hurting herself. Debi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 15, 2007 Report Share Posted December 15, 2007 Some fire depts around the nation are getting GPS systems and will give the ankle bracelets to families for free or a small charge. When ever child goes missing the coordinates can be looked up & child found. I would suggest you consider the Ion Kids momnitoring system at http://www.nationalautismassociation.org/products.php?cat=34 & PHPSESSID=b2f20a56f\ 8ff763bd0a9b978b7b67f6b Another thing, have you considered getting a service dog? They can be trained to herd and alert the caregiver (you or grandma) by barking. I've read that some kids stop roaming after just a couple of times, they said the dog's herding and barking was a cue to them not to go any further. I also heard of some sort of alarm where you can record a message, so like if she's heading out the door you could record it to say, " Stop, go get Mommy " or something like that, some sort of an auditory cue. Don't know if any of those would work, I hope you find something, you all must be exhausted feeling like you have to see her every second to keep her from hurting herself. Debi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 16, 2007 Report Share Posted December 16, 2007 We experienced an increase in attentiveness and connectedness when we began RDI with our daughter, and as she was more attentive and felt connected, she checks with us a lot, does her own thing much less. RDI has the parents change how they use themselves. There is a HUGE focus on the PARENTS. It's the first intervention we tried that did not focus on my daughter, did not focus on changing her. We spent a lot of effort in the beginning on slowing down and shutting up and beginning to communicate w/ her non-verbally, giving her opportunities to have her feel herself physically taking an action. We realized how much we'd been compensating for her in that department. For example, we began to reach out items to her (like a pen or box of crayons, maybe her fork and plate at dinner time) and wait for her to reach out and take them from us. She had been so accustomed to our regulating her, directing her with our voices, keeping her attention etc, with our words, that we had behaviorally reinforced a kind of learned helplessness in the non-verbal communication dept, and increasing her responsibility for checking with us visually (I'm talking about referencing for information and facial gazing, not about eye contact) also increased her attentiveness and connectedness to us. Penny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 16, 2007 Report Share Posted December 16, 2007 We experienced an increase in attentiveness and connectedness when we began RDI with our daughter, and as she was more attentive and felt connected, she checks with us a lot, does her own thing much less. RDI has the parents change how they use themselves. There is a HUGE focus on the PARENTS. It's the first intervention we tried that did not focus on my daughter, did not focus on changing her. We spent a lot of effort in the beginning on slowing down and shutting up and beginning to communicate w/ her non-verbally, giving her opportunities to have her feel herself physically taking an action. We realized how much we'd been compensating for her in that department. For example, we began to reach out items to her (like a pen or box of crayons, maybe her fork and plate at dinner time) and wait for her to reach out and take them from us. She had been so accustomed to our regulating her, directing her with our voices, keeping her attention etc, with our words, that we had behaviorally reinforced a kind of learned helplessness in the non-verbal communication dept, and increasing her responsibility for checking with us visually (I'm talking about referencing for information and facial gazing, not about eye contact) also increased her attentiveness and connectedness to us. Penny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 19, 2007 Report Share Posted December 19, 2007 Hi Penny, I'm curious about how you did the RDI. We've " dabbled " in it but haven't done it full blown. We tried it with the videotaping & having it reviewed alternating it with on site training, but it got too costly & we just couldn't keep up with the videotaping & doing the drills ourselves. I think RDI has merit but just couldn't do it ourselves the way it should be. Marie A. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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