Anyone got any suggestions for DS1 who keeps getting out of his car seat???

[loueytbg]

DS1 (3.6) has been wriggling out of his shoulder straps for a while, not ideal and we stop the car when he does it, but at least he was still kept in by his waist strap. That was until this week when he worked out how to open the clasp . So now he is escaping out of his car seat at any opportunity. He's doing it in my car and the childminders car and he is very quick. We have been drumming into him that he needs to keep his seatbelt on to keep him safe and he knows that but chooses to ignore it (no danger awareness at all).

I've had a quick google and I've found this but wondered if anyone had used it or had any other suggestions (I know a straightjacket might be one ). He is also almost too big for the 2nd stage car seat he is currently in and there is no way we can put him in a booster with just a seat belt. Not sure what car seat to get next?

we use a crelling harness for dd1, to stop her from sliding out underneath the seatbelt (she is 6, in a booster seat)

they ahve a huge variety of different harnesses, from simple chest straps like the one you linked to, to full-on supposedly unescapable uckles etc.

we only really need to get a 5-point system for dd1, as she is unable to open the buckles (poor fine motor skills), but was well able to wriggle about and slide out form underneath the seatbelt!

not tried your suggestion but for my 6 yr old boys with ASD who are absolute Houdini's re getting out of any seat belt lock we use these ((cgi.ebay.co.uk/Seat-Safety-Belt-Buckle-Guard-Lock-Child-Seats-/260649361091?pt=UK_Baby_BabyCarSeatAccessories_SM&hash=item3cafe99ec3#ht_500wt_922)). They work for us as long as we reinforce them from the inside so they can't get their skinny little fingers in to press open the release button. We use cut up pieces of plastic milk cartons and it works for us.

we used to have this harnessherethe one with the steel buckle, but now have a windmill harness like this here with a buckleboss seatbelt buckle cover (on windmill website i think!) we are going to put the crelling one on ebay at some point. ds is almost 5 but big for age and in a booster seat. hope that helps if i can help anymore message me my ds is a houdini!

should add weve been using the crelling one until a month ago, we bought it when he was 2 and a half and needed to come out of a stage 2 seat x

You've noticed that the Houdini doesn't meet UK regulations, loueytbg? All car seats over here have to have a single access point, so they can't be sold with an additional clasp.

Crelling are fantastic, as are the 'in car safety centre'.

didnt know that lougle, the crelling one we had has a cross strap as well as bit that does up around tummy ish area, and our windmill one is a nightmare to open - i know this is not great in an accident - was a bit worry for us but we ended up having to decide on it as otherwise we could have accidents from him escaping etc, was a hard decision though

Lougle - what does make the crelling harness meet UK standards?

As already said, it too has a chest strap (we don't use it, as that is not the problem we have), and of course it is an extra buckle to undo, so dd1 has a 5 point harness on as extra, and then the seatbelt used to secure her in booster as normal.

We have a seatbelt cutter in each car in case of emergencies, but I am not sure why the crelling would pass UK standards, when the houdini doesn't?

our windmill needs a magnet to undo 3 button things and without the magnet can only be undone by a seatbelt cutter, i wish i understood all the rules etc properly but equally my ds needs to be safe and the windmill is best weve found to keep him in his seat! we also have a seatbelt cutter in the car but keep meaning to buy more so i can keep a few in car just in case as in an accident without magnet if that gets thrown accross car in crash or whatever the cutter is needed or ds is trapped

I don't know if it does, silverfrog, but all I was saying is that UK car seats can't have a chest-strap when they go to market because of Regs.

Have found this "12. My child is disabled - does the law apply to them?
Yes. Children with disabilities must use child restraints or seat belts in the same way as other children. However, an exception in the regulations allows them to use disabled person's seat belts or child restraints designed for their needs instead of regular child restraints or the standard seat belts installed in cars.

Information on disabled person's seat belts and child restraints is available from specialist child restraint or harness manufacturers.

If there is a medical reason for not using a child restraint or seat belt, then a doctor can decide whether to issue an exemption certificate on medical grounds. Learn more about medical exemptions from wearing a seat belt" on here

Thank you all - blimey its a minefield, I'm glad it aappears that I wouldn't be breaking the law by using one of these things (thanks marmalade)

kerpob do you think the buckle guard you linked to would work with a five-point harness??? I can't tell from the picture whether it would or not. It looks as though it is put on a normal seatbelt buckle.

" However, an exception in the regulations allows them to use disabled person's seat belts or child restraints designed for their needs instead of regular child restraints or the standard seat belts installed in cars."

Not sure about this because the Crelling has to be used as well as the seat belt installed in the car, not instead of. The harness is only attached to the seat, not properly anchored.

Btw, the Crelling safety buckle is very good. You lift the front to undo it instead of pressing a button and it has completely foiled ds's escape attempts. Unfortunately it also tends to foil grandparents etc until you show them how it works.

Do You know your OT can provide harness for free?

ot in our area wont provide them and i think thats quite common

if youre anywhere near nottinghamshire and want a look at the crelling or windmill ones we have let me know, crelling is going onto ebay this weekend though so would have to be in the next weel if you wanted to see that one!

OT provided our harness.

Do we need to write to David cam about another postcode lottery after Riven nappy success? Here they are free

If we'd waited for an OT to recommend one, let alone provide one, then dd1 would have been loose in the car for the past 2 years, since she went into a booster seat. She has never seen, nor is levelly to see, an nhs OT.

I do hate how all this stuff is so random, and so much depends on where you live (and then after that, how much you can afford to provide for yourself)

We are seeing the OT in a few weeks for our 4 sessions of sensory integration therapy. Trying to get hold of her before then will be nigh on impossible and I need something now. Also, we are going to need 3 - one for me, one for DH's car and one for childminders car.

I normally lock them in the car while I go to get a carpark ticket and yesterday in the 1 minute that took, DS1 had got out of his carseat and was in the driving seat pretending to drive .

misstired thanks for the offer but we are in West London, otherwise I would have definitely taken you up on it.

lol no worries! my mum is down in london this weekend and has one in her car but shes not took her phone or i would tell her to meet you to show it you lol

(mini-hijack)

Silverfrog, where we are children with an ASD diagnosis are specifically excluded from OT referral ('the list is currently closed') - it's totally shit, we almost had a referral for ds but when they noticed the ASD they cancelled it. Can't afford private OT on top of ABA so I guess ds will have to continue to fall over a lot.

Lousy, whereabouts in west London? We are in Surrey, if that is any help?

phlebas - yep, tis shit. Dd1 couldn't have OT because our then county didn't do OT for pre-schoolers

There has been no suggestion of it at all since we moved counties. LA deleted all reference to it from dd1s statement.

We have been paying for an ind SI OT for dd1, and it has been brilliant for her.

God I really must start previewing!

I meant louey, sorry - typing in iPad, and it keeps autocorrecting!

silver - we're in Ruislip. You don't go to a OT practice in Walton by any chance??

phlebas thats beyond ridiculous - I guess its just another way of removing potential children from their waiting lists as they can't cope with the list they have . If you DS has similar problems to mine (hypermobility and hypotonia, falls over a lot, poor balance, poor core stability) then it would be worth you getting a gym ball. Most of DS's exercises use one and they are very simple. There are a couple of good books that have pictures in them to demonstrate the sort of thing you can do. His shoulder strength has dramatically improved since we've been doing them.

I'm not sure about the crelling harnesses, they look a bit drastic in terms of the amount of security and I was hoping to avoid that if possible. But I'm not sure the chest strap will be enough to stop him getting out.

We don't currently, no, but thinking about changing to it - do you know it? Currently go into central London, and it si a fair slog with 2 dcs etc.

We are just by junction 6 ofnthe m25, so a bit out of you way.

The crelling harness we have is secure, and definitely drastic, but it has done the job, and dd1 is sitting correctly in her seat and therefore safe

We go there. They have been fantastic - nice room with lots of good equipment and in particular swings which my DS1 loves. They wrote a very good report which we have used for statutory assessment - the clearest I have seen (and several people have said the same thing to me). Easy to find, free on-street parking. It takes me almost 50 mins to get there (each way) but its been worth it.

J6 is a bit far but thanks.