Busy Public Places
As parents our children’s safety is very important to us. There are many ways we can work with our children and their surroundings to make their environment safer for them. When going to busy locations such as theme parks, festivals, local parks, family entertainment centers, zoos, shopping centers and restaurants it can be beneficial to have the following strategies in place should you potentially be separated from your child.
My child had a bad tendency when he was younger to just stop off at any restroom that we passed if he needed to use it, unfortunately he hardly ever told anyone and just went in. We learned where every bathroom in town was, and developed a built in radar to be on the lookout for him heading off on his own.
He also had what we jokingly called “squirrel syndrome.” Meaning he would get easily distracted and head toward something that caught his interest. After getting separated one time we realized that our current safety measures weren’t good enough and we needed better ones.
Teaching Them Important Information
If your child has a tendency to wander off or if you are going to a busy area, you can have your child memorize information that they can tell someone to help them locate you.
Information should include:
- Their first name,
- Their parents’ names,
- Their parents’ cell phone numbers,
- Where they should meet if they become separated.
Of course, this can be difficult if your child is non-verbal, or non-verbal around strangers. When we first had issues, our son could not communicate with others. Therefore we had to look into other measures which we’ve included below.
Teaching Them Who Is Safe To Talk To
If your child is verbal, it is equally important is helping them to recognize who is safe to approach for help.
Many children on the autism spectrum tend to trust everyone, although there are many who also don’t trust anyone except family members and a few other people they see on a regular basis. Both have challenges where teaching them who to approach for help and who to avoid.
Typically the best people to have them approach:
- Person in a uniform – policeman, fireman, security guard,
- Person with a name tag (if in a restaurant or department store, these usually signify a worker who can help),
- Someone they know.
Set Up a Meeting Place If Going to a Crowded Location
Getting separated from our child is one of most parents’ biggest fears, especially when they are little. It is important to set up a pre-established meeting place for if you become separated. It is best if you go there first and point it out, even if you’ve used this meeting place before it’s best to point it out every time.
Best locations:
- Some place central,
- Some place with a lot of people around,
- Some place visible from many sides,
- Some place distinctive and easy to remember,
- Some place they can see from many different locations, so they can easily find it,
- Security or customer service counters if they are visible.
Places like theme parks and zoos frequently have maps. It can be helpful to make sure children each have their own copy in a pocket with your meeting location circled.
Wrist Leashes/Leash Backpacks
While not always widely accepted, sometimes wrist leashes and leash backpacks can be the best solution if you know your young child is prone to wandering. I recommend finding one that is secure and comfortable for both the child and parent and also has a long coil to still allow your child the freedom of movement.
For more information on this topic, please check out our article on wrist leashes. They were a huge help to us.
Identification Jewelry
There are many different types of jewelry available for children to wear that give identifying/contact information that you can put on your child ranging from necklaces to bracelets. These can be very beneficial if your wanderer is non-verbal and has no way to ask for help.
Ensuring Success
Some of these take time to learn or get used to, so starting in advance and practicing can help ensure success. Memorization can take time, so be sure to start early. Also the more familiar the information is, the easier it will be for your child to remember.
When using wrist leashes/backpacks or identification jewelry it is better to try it in small doses before having them wear it for an extended time. We wanted our younger child to be able to safely hike trails with us without getting too far ahead or off the trail edge, so we needed a wrist leash. In order to prepare him for the trails, we used it on short trips to the zoo a couple of times beforehand with each trip a little longer in duration. By the time we got to the trails, he was a pro at wearing the wrist leash and didn’t notice it a bit.
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