Do any of you use a tracker device?

[getbackinyouryurtjimjams]

I just lost ds1 see thread here and it was OK, but it was my worst fear come true. Also when he runs off there is simply no way of getting him back. He doens't answer to his name and although he does respond to 'stop'- he still needs me to be near him and firm before he will (and then it's only about 80% of the time).

I know several children who have escaped and been missing for hours.

I have seen trackers advertised recently- mainly in the NAS rag Communication. They look very pricey though. Not so much the unit- but the monthly cost of 20 quid - and I'm not sure ds1 would wear it anyway.

Has anyone used anything like this. I suppose I need something that I can activate an auditory alarm as well if he runs off so that I can hear it and find him.

I saw something cheap in a local chemist that activates some kind of alarm on the child. I have no idea what it is called but will look out for it. It's not a GPS tracker though just a noisy alarm.

That's probably more useful tbh. UNless he gets out without us realising, but I think that's less likely (and hopefully those sorts of things will come down in price soon).

I looked into arlarm devises after we lost Ds in the british museum - its hard to see around all those cases and people! I'm afraid I was in tears before we found him - he just said 'you long!' as if you took a long time to catch up with me! There is a devise (I think it is wrist mounted)that costs around £17 I think that alarms at a certain distance from the parents 'watch' device. Local Co-op chemist that sells it shut today so can't check details/ name. I decided against an alarm because ds noticed my absence and stopped and waited! Progress!!
Hope you feel less wobbly today!

Meant to say the chemist one had rather a limited range IIRC- better ones on the net I think.

Thanks magso- that's really helpful. I'll have a look- does the alarm sound on the child? I'll have a google later and will report back

Hi Jimjams, didn't realise this was you. I am interested too as I lost DS on Sunday for the first time. We went to a friend's son's birthday party in their garden (he also has ASD) and, when it was time to leave I told DS "we're going in a minute", turned round to say goodbye, looked back and he'd gone. I assumed he'd gone off the flush the toilet for the 1000s time or something but the front door was open....... We couldn't find him anywhere, or hear his repetitive noises (which I hilariously call his homing device), he didn't come when I called which he usually does. He has never done this before. The one time he let himself out of our front door he bashed to get back in! So we had to call the Police and they were fantastic. Really kind and efficient, listened to everything I told them, 4 cars turned up! They did a thorough search of gardens etc and heard hooting coming from an alleyway and there he was! They only just managed to cancel the helicopter! So, you can see why I'd be interested.

burluddy hell Davros!!! How long did all that take?

Ds1 has run out of a friend's house- but when I was watching him (so had to go running after him). I think I just need to tie a long piece of elastic round him!

eeek - scary stuff!I quite like the sound of that watch device thing for holidays and daytrips (not so bad around home - know the danger zones!) Don't know how I'd get ds to wear it tho, unless I convinced him it was a Ben10 device?

This may be a bit pricey (some models cost £hundreds!):
www.child-tracker.co.uk/

but I'm sure that Sainsbury's used to sell a non-brand child alarm for about £15.

My 3 year old went missing yesterday, I eventually found him myself,(playing with Thomas tank engine in elc) but that sick feeling of panic, telling the police my child's name while simultaneously informing them he does not respond to his name ever, and doesn't like being picked up, doesn't have any comprehension of language, I would pay hundreds for some way of keeping my child safe.
I am interested in a tracker aswell. Ds doesn't want to stay in a buggy now, and I am frightened of taking him anywhere. He will grow out of it soon, thankfully he hasn't learned to unclip the harness yet. I have a walking reigns thing, but have started increasingly thinking about a tracking device.

Thought these were a neat idea. Plus they have ones foe children with special needs so if they are found they know what is wrong with them. I plan on getting some for my son and daughter.

safetytat.com/

It can happen anywhere?at an amusement park, zoo, school field trip, or even your local shopping mall. Your attention shifts for a moment, and suddenly your child or loved one has wandered out of sight.

So put the odds in your favor for a safe return, with SafetyTat. Designed by a Mom of three kids, SafetyTat is a fun and colorful kids temporary safety tattoo that?s uniquely personalized with your cell phone number. When applied to the arm of your child or loved one, SafetyTat provides an immediate, highly visible form of identification that stays in place even when wet and lasts for days.

My problem with all of these is that I don't let ds1 out of my sight. My attention never ever wanders when I'm out and about with him (seriously) because it can't. We could end up in a Davros type situation with ds1 escaping from a house- in which case mannymoe's soultion looks great (and cheap- I'm going to look further into it). But in the last few years both times he's got away from me I've watched him go (first time at a friend's house- no problem knowing where he was I just couldn't catch him and he was running full speed to a main road), then in B&Q on Saturday I knew he was in the shop or it's vicinity just had no idea where and no-one noticed anything strange about a 9 year old skipping merrily around the aisles (they might have noticed a 2 year old alone iyswim). I was worried about the road outside of course.

I really need a combination of Mannymoes with a big alarm that I can sound on his unit so I can track him if he runs off in a shop and I lose him because he's too fast and it's too crowded. I think most of these sound an alarm on the parental unit when they break a certain range (or have a read that wrong - I may well have- will have a proper look again in a mo). I'll know he's gone, I just might not be able to see him (and a stonking great alarm might make him stop )

Thanks for all the suggestions.

Oh those tatoos are great actually aren't they? Ds1 pulls off/wont wear wrist bands - I'm going to get some of those I think - if I could combine that with an alarm that could sound on him it would be my ideal solution.

Actually rather than an alarm I need something that shouts out "grab this child he's autistic' or something

What I could do with is something to make me run faster - ds is like a whippet!

god me too. rockets in shoes? One of the scariest ds1 moments was him running full pelt towards the main road with myself and my best friend running after him. I'd been feeding ds3 so was running with him and my friend was screaming 'give me the baby'; I was shouting back 'I can't - I can't stop.' So she started yelling at me to put ds3 down on the grass - which I did. It was awful. Then he ran next to someone's front door and stopped to peer in their window. Hallelujiah!

I had one a bit like that (not quite such a feed and run tho!), hurtling down the road after ds1 with ds2 and dd3 in the double buggy, in the end had to leave the buggy in the middle of the pavement and run after him. He didn't get much further but the bit that p**d me off was that it was on the road to the school and all the other parents were walking that way too and not one of them stopped ds or offered to grab the buggy for me.grrrr

It was after a mad dash out of a shop where I had to leave ds2 in the buggy and my money (and was pregnant with ds3) and only just caught up with ds1 before the road that I bought a crelling harness.....

Perhaps I'm being a bit mean, I guess you don't just grab stray kids and they weren't to know...still it's that horrid feeling of not knowing what to do first, put the baby down?not put the baby down? The bit you know you'd replay over and over if anything bad did happen. Sorry to be voice of doom - think it's out of my system now.

chasing whilst pregnant, glad I won't have to do that again!

Me too. Pleased just not to have to do pregnant again full stop though!

Here is the type of gadget that I saw in Sainsbury's last year, they are very inexpensive but not sure how effective they are as I've never actually used one (my ds is kept in a Major when we are out and about in open areas because he is also a sprinter; even in fenced parks, he always knows where all the gates are and will hurtle through them when he thinks we are napping...)

cgi.ebay.co.uk/CHILD-BABY-ALARMED-LOCATION-TRACKER-MONITOR-FINDER_W0QQitemZ120272104137QQihZ002QQcat egoryZ20435QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I like these!!

www.mypreciouskid.com/child-locator.html

They have a whole bunch of other products too!!