Constantly taking off seatbelt...

[sevenoften]

First post here, and it's about my nephew, who has just turned 4 and was diagnosed about 2 months ago with autism.

My dsis is still coming to terms with all of this, and I'm trying just to be a sounding board for her. But she was telling me yesterday that the latest thing is taking off his seatbelt in the car and how he is impervious to be told off about it. She also tried a light smack, in desperation, but no success (unsurprisingly!). In the end she had to make her dh sit in the car next to him, as it was important, and she can't exactly pull her dh away from work every time.

Does anyone know of a way of stopping him taking his seatbelt off? It's a 5-point harness thing.

[IndigoBell]

Hi and welcome.

One of the other posters here had this problem with her 4 year old always taking his seatbelt off, and she was advised to give him something to do which he wants to do even more than take his seat belt off.

So she now gives him her iPhone to play games on, which he loves, and so he doesn't bother taking his seatbelt off......

[growlybear]

Hi sevenoften there is something called a crelling harness that is virtually impossible to get out of.If you google crelling harness it should come up.hth

[Marne]

Hi, i have a 5 year old that takes her seat belt off and has tried to clib out of the window and a few months ago grabbed the stearing wheel whilst i was driving , we are trying to get funding to buy a harness from here i think they afre similar (or the same as) the crealing harness.

[LunarRose]

Try this

www.incarsafetycentre.co.uk/catalog/product_info.php/cPath/32/products_id/122?osCsid=7l3dr3uctlgkv26tpppfed6r66

It's a super cheap buckle guard. It was recommended on here for DS (then 3 with ASD). It slips over the buckle and the pillbox style screw top tightens it so it covers the button. It is a right fiddle to use but it worked. We used it consistently for about a week which was enough to get him out of the habit of doing it. Now it's in the car just in case and we only need to use it now and then.

Incidentally I was told that the crelling 5 point harness still requires the normal seat belt to be in place for safety and doesn't actually stop the child from undoing the seatbelt, just from slipping the seatbelt off, I think from memory I even checked this with the manufacturer. Doesn't therefore solve the problem for us with escapologists who going directly to the buckle.

[sevenoften]

Excellent - lots of good suggestions. I'll get onto it.

[spiritsam]

Got the crelling harness for DD she can get her arms and shoulders out , which means she can get out . they do a 14 day trial so you can try before buying but my daughter worked out after paying for hers that arms woud come out even though i got the one with chest pad . I too am looking into the windmill one now .

[1plus2]

Fledglings also do a buckle guard.