If you’re sat Googling ‘How to track my autistic child?’ then you’re in the right place! This tracking device is perfect to use on children – and even adults! I’m so excited to share this important safety tracking device with you and to help you decide if it’s something that will help you to keep your autistic child safe.. And to feel confident that you know where they are.
This blog post may contain affiliate links. This means that if you purchase an item through my affiliate link, I may receive a % of commission at no extra cost to you. This helps support me, my family and my blog to bring you great content for free!
Autistic Children Running Away
The IAN (Interactive Autism Network) did a survey in 2011 which showed that 49% – almost HALF – of all autistic children aged between 4-10 years had attempted to wander or run away at least once after the age of 4.
And to further add to this, 24% of autistic children were at risk of drowning. This was on top of 65% of parents reporting that their children had had a close call during episodes of eloping/running away.
35% of the children who had wandered were missing long enough to cause significant concern..
But the scariest part of all? Up to 31% were unable to communicate their name, address or phone number to others.. Thus greatly increasing the risk factors associated with wandering.
And of course, every parents nightmare.. Are they an easy target?
That feeling when your child has eloped is sickening. It’s like all the air rushes to your head. Your heart is pounding in your chest. Something is stuck in your throat. It’s awful. And I wouldn’t wish it on anyone.
For years, we’ve tried different things to help keep our students safe. So if they run away, I’m within a very short distance so they can’t get away. Probably like most of you do on a daily basis.
But, there’s always that time when they manage it. Because many of our children can be escape artists. And they know exactly when to strike and make that run.
Why Does My Autistic Child Run Away?
To be honest, this is a difficult one to answer. You know how they always say every child is different? Honestly, it’s applies very much to this issue. There could be a number of different reasons that causes your child to run away;
- They’ve seen something in the distance.
- Where you are is too busy, and it’s causing them stress.
- They’ve heard something that they want to go and visit.
- You’ve been waiting somewhere for a period of time and they’re bored.
- They need the toilet!
- Or it could be that they’ve seen someone that they know in the distance.
- Have they been to this place before? Do they know that something they really enjoy is around here and they’re heading to that?
A lot of our children have a flight response. If something upsets them or frightens them, many of them just have the instinct to run away.
Now in a secure environment with locked doors, you can manage this.
But what if you’re out and about? In a busy public space? With easy access for that child to get anywhere?
Panic. Right?
I used to be like that too. And then I discovered the most wonderful thing. AngelSense.
What is AngelSense?
It is my guardian angel. No joke at all. And when AngelSense offered to send me one to try out. I was giddy with excitement. How had I not heard of this before? How did I not know that this existed?
AngelSense is a GPS tracker, and it’s designed by the father of an autistic child. I mean, you can’t get much better than that, right? Someone who’s actually experienced what we’re going through.
Someone who knows exactly what it feels like to worry about your child running away. Or to actually have them run away. How vulnerable and sick you feel. Not just because your child is missing – but for them as well.
Honestly, there’s nobody better in my eyes, to make such a fantastic device.
When this arrived, I was so excited to test it out. I plugged it straight in to charge so that I could dive in and check out all the amazing features.
I’ve actually done a YouTube video of me going through the different pieces that are included, what I think of them, how to use it and what it all looks like. Check it out here.
So, in my box I had;
- AngelSense and Charger
- Reward Chart and Stickers
- Sensory-Friendly Shirt – That HOLDS the AngelSense!
- Waterproof Sleeve – To Hold the AngelSense
- Belt – To Hold the AngelSense
- Instructions & Support Leaflet
I urge you to watch the YouTube video so that you can see all the different items that are included, their features and benefits.
Then, I started to use the AngelSense. I was so eager to try it out. And honestly, it blew me away!
How to Use
- First, you download the app and sign up with your device.
- You fill in your child’s details so that the information is there.
- You can set names for places your child goes regular so that they show up on your phone at that place, i.e ‘Home’ ‘School’ Hairdressers’ Grandma’s’ ‘Dentist’ etc. I love getting the alert that says they’re at the hairdressers or they’ve left school.
- You can set an area around where they are now. If they leave that area – you’ll get a notification.
- It has 2 way communication – so you can talk back and fore or you can listen in.
- There’s even a school setting. So you can type in the time that the school day starts and ends. And during those times, it will mute off the audio and 2 way communication. That way you’re respecting the schools privacy, but you’re still able to keep an eye where your child is.
- It tells you how long until the child is going to be home. Ok, this was huge for me. You know when you need to go for a quick pee before your child arrives home but you don’t know if you have time? Because they’ll probably knock your door the second you run to the toilet. On the app, you can track where they are, especially in transit and it tells you the estimated time of arrival at that destination. Like, what?! Amazing!
- It has a Google Maps effect – you can put street view on.
- One of the bits that I love the most – it has a traffic sensor on there. So it tells you what traffic is like on the roads.
- You have notifications on your phone when your child arrives/leaves somewhere. And you get notification reminders to charge the AngelSense and to put it on your child. Perfect for those of us doing 1000 things each morning/night and to help us remember!
My Best Feature
So, there are a lot of AMAZING features in this device. But I had to choose what my top one was. And to be honest, once I found it – I knew it was going to be my top one.
You can set up a ‘First Responders’ section. And this is where you can add the names, email addresses and mobile numbers of people you want to get first notification if your child has run off or gone missing.
With that one piece, you hit the button and it sends a message to all of those people in that group. They’ll get a text and an email. Plus they’ll get a link so that they can view the real-time location of your child.
But it gets better. Because you can add those users so they can always monitor your child as well – like your partner or grandparents.
And it’s so easy to add them direct from your phone book! You can start typing their name in this part of the app and it pulls them direct from your phone book.
Conclusion
Guys, my mind is blown. This app is amazing. Since I received AngelSense, all I’ve done is brag about it to friends and family. I’ve been showing everyone.
The thought of my child running off, being vulnerable and me not being able to find them.. it’s the stuff of nightmares. But with AngelSense, I know I can breathe easier.
AngelSense provides that peace of mind. It’s like my security blanket. You can just click on the app, open it up and see where your child is straight away.
This is massive for our community. And the best part of all? I teamed up with AngelSense, so if you decide to purchase it, do it through this link and you will get a FREE device kit!
What You’ll Get
You can choose between a wearable GPS or a watch GPS.
Wearable GPS
Your kit includes;
- GPS Device
- Magnetic Key
- 3 Fasteners
- Wearing Sleeve
Watch GPS
Your kit includes;
- Watch with Embedded SIM Card
- Charging Cable & Cradle
You can purchase it from around the world – so click here now, head on over and purchase your AngelSense.
Do you use AngelSense? Or do you have trouble with your child(ren) running away from you? Let me know in the comments below. I love to hear from you!
If you found this post helpful, please consider sharing it with your friends and family on social media. Don’t forget to check out our podcast for more advice and strategies.
Disclaimer: AngelSense sent me their GPS tracker to try out. They did not compensate me for my views or opinions. All views and opinions are my own from my experience using the GPS tracker and the app. This post does include affiliate links.
