5 point harness lock? ASD Son wont stay buckled.

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Mythreesons3

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Hi, I am desperately looking for a way to safely keep my son restrained. He will be 4 in april, weighs around 34/35 pounds. He has PDD-NOS. He will not stay buckled for more than 4 or 5 minutes. We have tried several different carseats, he can undo just about any buckle. We have also tried a reward system for staying buckled. He doesnt care. I need a 5 point harness lock similiar to the angel guard that they make for the seat belts. OR some sort of way to restrain him safely. I know that you cannot twist straps, but what about turning the buckle piece around to face towards him? How safe is this?
Any Suggestions are well appreciated! Please help me keep him safe!!!
 
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AustinMusic

Active member
If you were to look at special needs seats, there are many options available. Nonetheless, I think it is important to keep in mind that if it is possible to continue using a ‘standard’ seat, rather than a special needs seat, it is the better option as I believe some special needs seats, although excellent in many instances do have to make ‘some compromise’ (for want of a better phrase) in terms of design between overall safety and the positioning/support needs of the passenger. This is not to say of course, they are not safe, if used correctly they are very safe.

When purchasing a seat for someone with special needs, the same mantra applies as to purchasing any seat; the best seat is the one that suits the needs of the child/occupant best, is compatible with the vehicle(s) in which it is being used and is able to be used correctly by the parents/carers.

One possible solution could be to use the “rough” half of a piece of self-adhesive Velcro on the buckle. This can help deter a child from pressing the release because of the “rough” nature of the material. If that doesn’t work I recommend you look at the following:

Recaro Reha

• Monza Reha Adaptive Car Seat – Booster with torso support harness for users up to 110lbs. Although harnessed, the seat ALWAYS requires use of the 3 point seatbelt as the internal harness is only for support.

E-Z-On Products

• 86Y Harness – This is not so much a special needs product specifically, as it fills more a niche gap for certain situations where a harness is required but a booster is not a viable option. It can however, if required, be used for such a situation if so suitable and can be quite a cost effective option.

• Vests – The E-Z-On vests come in various models which are used frequently in special needs transport. We currently use the 203 and 103Z vests. They can be used for occupants up to 168lbs and various accessories are available (although we have no experience of using any of the accessories). The 103Z vest closes behind the wearer and can be used for passengers who cannot understand that they should not unbuckle themselves while the vehicle is moving. In difference to the 103Z vest, the 203 vest opens and closes at the front and used in situations, where the occupant needs to be held upright if they are unable to manage it themselves.

(It is important to note that should you use the E-Z-On Vest, it is a wise idea to carry an emergency seatbelt cutter (as seen here) in the vehicle located in a position where it can be accessed quickly and easily. In the event of crash, you may well need to exit the vehicle quickly and cutting through the webbing safely is often the best solution.)

There are plenty of experts here on the forum who are trained in special needs seating who can offer far better advice and knowledge but I hope this helps.
 

TechnoGranola

Forum Ambassador
Hi! Welcome to car-seat.org!

We have some techs here who are trained in special needs so they may be able to offer some additional suggestions.

Can you please tell us what seat your son is in now? and if you remember what other seats you have tried? There are some that are more difficult to unbuckle. For example, the Graco Nautilus with the new Graco buckle is often difficult for adults to open! So, it may be an option for your son. But if we know what you've tried, we won't waste time suggesting seats you've been through.
 
U

Unregistered

Guest
Hi! Welcome to car-seat.org!

We have some techs here who are trained in special needs so they may be able to offer some additional suggestions.

Can you please tell us what seat your son is in now? and if you remember what other seats you have tried? There are some that are more difficult to unbuckle. For example, the Graco Nautilus with the new Graco buckle is often difficult for adults to open! So, it may be an option for your son. But if we know what you've tried, we won't waste time suggesting seats you've been through.

Right now he is on a Nautilus, that is about a year old. We have had an Evenflo Triumph, we had a costco seat, I think it was an Alpha-something? Also a Costco Cosco - High-Back seat with the harness. My G'ma also has a short bus equipped with the special needs 5 harnesses that zip and he undoes those as well.
The Nautilus is so far the only one he cannot get out of if you turn just the buckle peice around. This is what one of his therapist had suggested, But I don't know how safe it is. It still buckles correctly and locks in. I pulled very hard a couple of times and it stays buckled. But he can still undo the chest clip and get his arms out.
 

TechnoGranola

Forum Ambassador
I have seen your current solution suggested before. Hopefully a tech will chime in on the safety aspect of it.

Does your Nautilus have the button at the bottom of the buckle that you push down? If so, you could consider purchasing a replacement harness with the new style buckle.

As for chest clip, I believe Sunshine Kids used to make one that was very difficult to unclip. I'm not sure if that clip is the one used on their Diono seats, now that they've changed their company name. I'm also not sure if there are safety ramifications in using another manufacturer's chest clip. But I'd think it would be safer than him without a harness at all (when he escapes).

I wonder though if he couldn't unclip the chest clip, would he just push it down to escape?

Sent from my iPhone using Car-Seat.Org
 

Kecia

Admin - CPST Instructor
If you don't mind my asking - where are you located? If you're near someone with a decent collection of seats (like me), I would offer to let you try an Evenflo Chase. That's my go-to seat for little Houdinis under 40 lbs. It only goes to 40 lbs with the harness but if it works it might buy you another year since he's still around 35 lbs.

The Chase has a harness adjuster mechanism that's located *on* the harness itself. It's actually located just below the proper chest clip position if you put the harness in the top slots. This means the child can't push the chest clip down far enough to wiggle his arms out (as long as the harness is really snug). And the buckle and chest clip are fairly hard to undo so most kids won't have the finger strength and dexterity to unbuckle either.

I have had great success with this particular seat in these types of situations over the years. But it's only an option until he hits 40 lbs, unfortunately.
 

soygurl

Active member
If you don't mind my asking - where are you located? If you're near someone with a decent collection of seats (like me), I would offer to let you try an Evenflo Chase. That's my go-to seat for little Houdinis under 40 lbs. It only goes to 40 lbs with the harness but if it works it might buy you another year since he's still around 35 lbs.

The Chase has a harness adjuster mechanism that's located *on* the harness itself. It's actually located just below the proper chest clip position if you put the harness in the top slots. This means the child can't push the chest clip down far enough to wiggle his arms out (as long as the harness is really snug). And the buckle and chest clip are fairly hard to undo so most kids won't have the finger strength and dexterity to unbuckle either.

I have had great success with this particular seat in these types of situations over the years. But it's only an option until he hits 40 lbs, unfortunately.
Along those same lines, isn't there a fairly new TrendZ (baby trend) combination seat with a similar harness adjuster? I don't know much about that seat in particular, but it might be worth looking into...

ETA: It's the TrendZ EuroSport that I was thinking of, and though it definitely wouldn't be a long term solution (top harness slots are only 15"), if you son has a short enough torso, it very well might be worth a try! Again, I don't have any personal experience with this seat, but the chest clip is in a fixed position, and the buckle is both hard to access (due to an attached belly pad), and also gives a warning beep when unbuckled (so at least you'd know if your DS managed to get it open!).
 
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Judi

CPST/Firefighter
If nothing else, the Roosevelt has something you can add, that is houdini proof.

Oh, and :yeahthat: to Kecia. I have a collection as well, but a tad smaller than hers.
 

MaKoski

New member
My DD was also having this problem, can't tell you how to prevent it, we have to have her PCA ride with to keep an eye on her and keep her occupied. She uses an E-Z-On vest on the school bus and it works great... It's the kind that zips up the back, we might get one for our van once we get a new one. You shouls be able to get the vest and harness for under $200. If you have 2 vehicals get two harnesses(that install in your vehical. You can call a bus supplier and they might be able to order you one.
 

flipper68

Senior Community Member
My DD was also having this problem, can't tell you how to prevent it, we have to have her PCA ride with to keep an eye on her and keep her occupied. She uses an E-Z-On vest on the school bus and it works great... It's the kind that zips up the back, we might get one for our van once we get a new one. You shouls be able to get the vest and harness for under $200. If you have 2 vehicals get two harnesses(that install in your vehical. You can call a bus supplier and they might be able to order you one.

Here's a link to the company referred to above:
http://www.ezonpro.com/index.shtml


You may need an additional tether installed, but I've heard good things about this company's ability to work with families. . . This will also be a long term solution as they have wide range of sizes.
 
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