Autistic 44in 7y/o

Momofmanylos

New member
Hi, everyone.

I have a 7y/o son who is 44 in. Tall with a 16 in. torso height.

He has been in a hbb for about 2 years. He was doing well, but lately he is starting to have major sensory issues with his shoulder strap and is getting himself out of position.He is high functioning, but his sensor issues are very difficult to control, especially while driving. He starts rocking when the shoulder belt is properly positioned, and I just don't feel comfortable with that level of movement.

I want him back in a harnessed carseat. I thought the Britax Regent lookef promising, but it looks like it was discontinued? The Frontier also looks like an option, but I've read that it is very hard to install.

He could go back to a Radian, but his shoulders are already at the top level.

Help!
 
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bree

Car-Seat.Org Ambassador
The Frontier 85 does have a little bit of a learning curve for installation, but I've found that installing it with the seatbelt using the long belt path generally provides a very good install. Britax has videos posted on their YouTube channel that I've found to be helpful with installs, plus the members here would be able to help talk you through the install with some more hints.

Here's an example of a Britax Frontier 85 video with instructions about the long belt path:

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbZiOj4-LmA&feature=relmfu"]Britax Frontier 85 Harness-2-Booster Seat: Harness Mode Installation Using Lap/Shoulder Belt - YouTube[/ame]

Since the Frontier 85 has the tallest top slots of seats on the market (besides seats that require a prescription for insurance coverage), I think it would be a good choice if you decided to reharness your 7 year old. Since he has a 16 inch torso, you may also want to look into the Graco Nautilus or Graco Argos and the Recaro Prosport. If his shoulders are at the top slots of his Radian (and actually the Radian allows shoulders over the top slots, as long as the child is under 53" or something like that, if you are comfortable doing that), I think his torso might be a little taller than 16 inches, since the Radian's top slot is roughly 17 or 17.5 inches, I think, so the Frontier might be a good idea for the harness height. I thought I'd mention the other seats to research, though. :)

How much does he weigh? What vehicle would the seat be installed in?

You may want to check out this list of members who are technicians that might be in your area: http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=59135 You could contact them by Private Message for help with installs.
 

Momofmanylos

New member
Thanks for the reply.

You're right, I think his shoulders are closer to 17. I took a rough measurement with him wiggling, but he is definitely even with the top strap in the radian.

He only weighs about 40lbs.

He has a growth disorder, but in the past year he has shot up in height, but not so much in weight. He also has low muscle tone if that matters at all.

Oh, and the car is one we are about to buy. Eventually we are going to buy a Mazda 5, but we're getting a cheap van to last the next few months. He will be in the 3rd row.

Right now we drive an Accent, but I think we will make the move when we buy the van sometime this week.
 
Last edited:

flipper68

Senior Community Member
You could also look into an 86Y harness from Ez-On or any of the special needs seats made for bigger kids.

http://www.ezonpro.com/products/familyVehicle/86yHarness.shtml

His low tone also makes me think he's not a great candidate for booster use, especially if he falls asleep in the car.

http://eztether.com/

Since you mentioned the Regent, the Traveler Plus is basically a Regent with addition positioning options. It's pricey compared to "typical" seats but relatively inexpensive for a SN seat.

http://www.adaptivemall.com/safetycarseats1.html
 

Momofmanylos

New member
The Roosevelt looks like a really good option because of the head harness and pummel. That looks like enough to keep him from rocking in his seat and getting out of position.

Thank you so much. Now I guess we get to convince our insurance company that it is necessary. Would a video of his car behavior be helpful for thay?
 

Momofmanylos

New member
Thanks so much. I think my plan right now is to buy a Frontier for him for right now, and get a dr's note for the Roosevelt once he reaches the height limits. I have a 4y/o, a 2 y/o and one on the way, so I'm sure the Frontier will be put to good use by another kid at some point!

One last question about the Frontier though. Does it require tether? Obviously we want to have it tethered, but we're buying a 2000 ish van for a few months that might not have tether anchors. I will get it retrofitted if possible, but just want to make sure untethered is an option just in case we run in to trouble.
 

Brianna

New member
The top tether is recommended until 65 pounds then it's required after that.

Sent from my DROID4 using Car-Seat.Org
 

monica-m

CPST Instructor
If your new to you 2000ish vehicle does not have tether anchors there will be pre-drilled holes to have those anchors installed. You can always post when you get it and someone can look up the part number for you. Some vans from that timeframe have tether anchors and the rest can have them retrofitted.
 

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