My autistic six year old has problems with impulse control and she is always sneaking out of the house. When she gets the urge to wander it is like a compulsion for her and she lets nothing stand in her way of getting out of the house. She has scaled the basement wall to climb out of a window, shimmied down a downspout from her second floor bedroom, and even wanders in the middle of the night. She has been brought home by TPD several times. I am at my wits end. We have tried alarms on the doors but she has figured out how to turn them off. I have even tried talking with her and trying to explain why she can't run off on her own and she just stares at me blankly. She has no concept of cause and effect or right and wrong so she is unable to understand that her actions are dangerous. Has anyone else had this problem with their autistic child and what did you do to correct it. Someone also suggested a service dog trained for her specific needs but I have no idea how to get info on that. If anyone knows who to contact let me know.
Hi T.... I have two children with CDLS and they are wanderers with horrible sleep patterns. Will wake up in the middle of the night and try to leave. :( I had to resort to chain locks on the outside of thier doors at night. and on the windows themselves protective grates. I also have video baby monitors in thier rooms set up so that if they need anything I will know. I would suggest that for the nighttime.
T., there is a program called Paws With a Cause that trains dogs specifically for certain disabilities and I am pretty sure that they have dogs trained for this type of situation. Now it is not a free program but it is definitely worth looking into. The have a website I just don't have the link off hand... you can search for it in google i'm sure.
Also there are door chimes that are not able to be disconnected. They simply chime, simular to a doorbell, anytime a door is open.
Hope that helps!
I second, or third the special needs dog. http://www.4pawsforability.org/autismdogs.htm Trains dogs specifically for children with autism. They are trained in search and rescue techniques, and you can put a harness on your child and then clip it to the dog, to help curb wandering.
Good luck...we are in the process of dx-ing our 2yr old with ASD. He's a wanderer too thankfully at this point I know exactly where he is headed, to the swing set a block away from home!
I do not have specific advice about autism, however the "Assistance Dogs of America" is a wonderful resource to help place working dogs with people who need them. Here is the website.
I would imagine that the dog would warn you if your child would try to leave the house/bedroom/whatever the dog is trained to do as well as other services. I do know that there is a great deal of research to support putting working dogs with children with autism and having wonderful results!
Good Luck.
i would lock her in her room with her window nailed shut and a smoke detecter inside her room as well as right outside it; there really isn't any other alternative is there? what if she were hit by a car or anything like that god forbid!! i know that locking your child in their room sounds cruel but if you take the necessary precautions, (breakless windows, extra fire detectors) and such... why would that be cruel if you did it to possibly save her life? my thoughts and prayers are with you and your children.
I have a few suggestions. I would consider trying a proximity alarm that you attach to your child's clothing. The idea is that if she gets beyond a certain distance from you, an alarm sounds. http://thesmartguard.com/whatisthesmartguard.html
Also, in my opinion, the night wandering is the most frightening. There is a product designed to let parents know if a baby stops breathing in the night. It works by sensing even the faintest movement while your child is sleeping. If there is no movement for a set amount of time, an alarm sounds through a handheld unit like a baby monitor. At least this way you will know if she gets out of bed at night, and allow you to catch her before she has a chance to do anything drastic.
http://yhst-71296113823518.stores.yahoo.net/280005807894....
There is a dog training school in Rochester. I don't know the name but it is on Rochester Rd. as you head into downtown. Have you tried putting locks on the insides of your outside doors- that she can't reach? I wouldn't lock her in her room, in case there was a fire, but at least then she couldn't get out the main doors. You might also try calling a window/door company and see if there are special locks you could get for her bedroom window.
Wow that brings back memories. I remember waking in the middle of the night thinking I heard a burglar...only to find my two year old running down the sidewalk, in the snow, toward the road wearing only a blanket sleeper. Door alarms didnt work for me either. What did I do? ( Keep in mind I was 19 and money was a huge issue) I put a lock on his door, nailed his window shut, put a smoke detector outside his door and in every room in the house, bought a fire escape ladder......and cried every time a family member who didn't understand called me "cruel". Do what you have to do for her safety. A dog who could be trained to alert you sounds like a fantastic idea. What about a security system with a locked box over the keypad (Like the clear ones office buildings use so you cant tamper with heat controls)? At least youd know if she opened a door or window, and she couldnt disarm it on her own. She sounds like one smart cookie! I'm so sorry you are going through this. Really, it does get better!
For starters I can relate and am co-owner of a specialneeds parent group that has escapee children. It is very difficult to keep them from running. My youngest used to take off out of the house any chance he got. We had locks upon locks. I have friends who's children do the same thing. I care for a boy in my childcare who if he gets the chance if off like wildfire. There are sights for service dogs and the cost is around 1000. You can get your child a dog and have him trained the best ones are Golden retrievers and Labradors. I can go through the sites I have and send the ones on to you about the dogs. Some offer scholarships but it entails allot of work. They have been proven to calm the children and keep them safe from such things.
Is your child verbal? Do you use visual aids to help her understand her bounderies? Our children don't learn things like others and it will take you some time to help her understand. Some may get it others may not. But I have found from talking to other people and friends that as they get older they mellow more. My son did, he still wanders but he is older and things much easier now then when he was younger.My youngest was almost killed when he was 2 he went full force for the road and I grabbed him the moment the semi passed. I tell you I lost it. From that day on I made sure I did whatever I have to do to make sure my babies were ok. The slept in my bedroom till they were almost 5 snd 7 yrs old. I was a very light sleeper and would lock the bedroom door. People don't have any idea the fear we live with. It is so intense it makes you ill sometimes. So pay no never mind to people who judge you and make you feel bad. WE have to keep our kids safe.
My boys are older now and have cell phones , we have them restricted but they have GPS so if we needed to find them we could. This give them more freedom but they are always a call away.
If you are in the area give me a holler and we can get together. Just let me know.
