During my teaching days, field trips were not nearly as exciting for me as for my students. I spent all day counting kids to be sure no one wandered off. And when we went on family outings when our kids were little, our rule was always, “Stay where we can see each other.” Even though they pretty much obeyed us, I always worried about them wandering off.
Mabel’s Labels
So is it any wonder information about safety gadgets designed to to stop special needs wandering always catch my eye? One fairly low tech method was featured in a December post about Mabel’s Labels, a company that makes all sorts of durable labels. They can be adapted and used as wrist bands for kids who tend to wander off, complete with the child’s name and parent contact information.
Project Lifesaver International
Mabel’s Labels are a good solution for young children and for some older ones, too. But parents of kids who tend to flee when they feel threatened should check out a resource featured by Susan Moffitt in a recent post at Autism Key. She recommends Project Lifesaver International. Information at their website says they “provide rapid response to save lives and reduce potential for serious injury for adults and children who wander due to Alzheimer’s, autism, Down syndrome, dementia and other related cognitive conditions.” They work with and train law enforcement personnel to communicate with people with cognitive or communication impairments.
What Do You Know about Project Lifesaver?
According to their website, Project Lifesaver has been around for over 11 years. It’s assisted with over 2000 rescues without any serious injuries or deaths. That’s an impressive record! So I’m wondering if any of you have had used their services to stop special needs wandering If so, would you share your experience by leaving a comment? Should we promote this movement or not? Is this a good way to protect children and kids unable to protect themselves?
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