Ok, who's got an escape artist and can you give me any useful strategies?

[waitingforgodot]

DS (3) is a classic escape artist especially if we take him somewhere new. He runs about frantically trying to find an escape route with no sense of danger. He is currently being assessed for ASD. Is this a common occurance or is it more a fight/flight panic thing?
Anyway, has anyone else encountered this and how do you cope? He wont stand in queues and I try to make supermarket trips as quick as possible and have him help whilst he stands in the trolley.
Anyone? Also, how do you teach them about danger?

Apologies for the ramble...

Dd2 (ASD) has no sense of danger, i keep her in a buggy most of the time or we use one of these so she cant run off.

We have managed to teach her 'wait' but we have not managed to teach her about danger.

If we go to the supermarket (which is rarely) i put her in a trolly with a shopping list (using pictures of things we need to buy) or she takes a favorite toy to keep her busy.

We use a wrist strap, but DD1 (4.2) can undo it now , so we will have to rethink.

It goes on before we unstrap her car seat.

Stair gates everywhere at home.

Danger? Let me know when you find out.

Mine was Mr Escapo. If there'd been awards for daring and dangerous escapes, he'd have won one. Likewise I yearned for a gold medal for rugby-tackling mum of the year as I desperately flung myself in his direction in the hope of stopping him.

Supermarkets are designed to be a living hell for us lot with an ASC. Trust me on this. He's got a point. Not a helpful point for you, but a point nonetheless. And trolley seats hurt like hell. So do straps. Worth trying out anything that softens the seating/stops that ice-cold pain of touch of the trolley bars/cushions the straps. Plus distraction of something to nibble on if possible.

Awareness of danger? I'm still stepping out in front of moving vehicles . Just don't see them - that's the trouble. In a world of my own sometimes.

I have developed my own special grip on DS's arm, whenever we are out and about, which is basically not holding his hand but holding his arm just above the wrist, in a vice like grip. He is not getting away from me with that grip, and I have learned to do almost everything else with my other hand! The other day I let him run alone into the house just a few yards, and he was literally just about to run out in front of a van. In that situtation, my only weapon is an EXTREMLY LOUD AND TERRIFYINGLY ANGRY voice, which stopped him (thank God) in his tracks. The whole street twitched their curtains, but who cares! I don't suppose that is much help but just wanting to share! My boy has no notion that cars are dangerous to him, he thinks that you just have to say "no cars" and then walk out into the road!

For DS2, what I used to do was use reigns, but as he could escape from them, what I did was cut two holes in the back of his coat (where I could put the bit of the reigns with the clips for the harness) and hem them. I used to put his harness part on first, then his coat, clip the straps THROUGH the holes, then zip his coat up. It meant he couldn't access the clips to free himself. Now he's too old for reigns, I just use the vice grip on his hand/arm. He's another one (at 6yo) who thinks you say 'road empty' (his version of no cars) and then just walks into the road!

I have tried reins-he just lies on the ground and refuses to move if I put reins on him. I will try the grip on the arm! Thanks for that!

What about a littlelife backpack? Its like reins, only doesn't look like it. We used one for DS2 until only recently, and it has been great. Very strong and sturdy, the two straps have a buckle in the middle and the parent strap has a hoop at the end which is great to thread your arm through when you are doing other things. I used to loop it onto DS3s pram. Really worth the money.

I have found hoods on clothes are marvellous for catching escapees, at one point would make sure a hoody was worn at all times while out. my friends and family would take the mickey when we went anywhere with son as i always wore trainers - they would always say Ju's got her running shoes on!!! Also big bolts up high on doors and gates. tried harnesses and wrist straps but always got away. also eyes in back of head and up bum helps!!!! Luckily my escape artist has now grown out of it, have had many times when heart has stopped and realised son nowhere to be seen, luckily he is still alive and now i'm completely grey! Ho hum!

The littlelife backpack-I read it was only suitable up to 3 years old? My DS is 3 but huge. Would it still fit?
If he resisted me by lying on the ground, he would be like a marionette puppet!

May try the hood idea too!

The straps have are adjustable, so might fit. I know DS2s fitted until he was 4, and he is a big 4 year old (on the 98th percentile for height). It has a handle on which is very robust and great to hoik them up off the floor