6 year old with Autism

ShadowLark

New member
We have my 6 year old in a Britax Frontier. He weighs around 37 lbs and has miles of room - he still fits in the MyRide on the top slot (just). The problem is, he now knows how to unfasten his chest clip, free his arms, and then unbuckle the harness.
We have a Houdini stop on its way from the UK, it's apparently crash tested in Europe so I'm hoping it works on US seats. If it doesn't work for Brendon, our next step is an EZ On vest and a seatbelt buckle guard.
I have a question, though. Brendon has a 21 inch waist. According to that measurement, he should be in an xs vest. But would the shoulders adjust enough to fit his torso? (Remember, he JUST fits in a MyRide. That's by shoulder height, not ears. So what is that, 16 inch torso?) Or should I go with size small even though his waist is too small for it?
We're in Lakewood, OH, so not near a SN tech who might let us try things on. What do you guys think?
 
ADS

ShadowLark

New member
Anyone? I really need some ideas. I don't care how good a seat the Frontier 85 is, it won't do it's job if he's not buckled into it. Help?
 

stephie1012

New member
How about the rstv? I'm not familiar with special needs seats but I wonder if there is one that is harder to unbuckle? Can he manage the buckles on all the seats out there? We went through this with my son as well. He's very high functioning and once we explained the risks and showed him some crash test footage he has remained buckled. Honesty he's even a perfect booster rider now. Much better than his older sister.
 

Kecia

Admin - CPST Instructor
Since you have a seat that fits him well with plenty of growing room, the ideal solution here would be to find a way to change the dangerous behavior. I know that is easier said than done but it might be possible. Does your son like stories? Do you or any of his therapists currently use stories in therapy?

Below is an example of a simple story on car safety and unbuckling that you can use as starting point for your story if you chose to make one for him.

I copied and pasted this info from the preventinjury.org website: http://www.preventinjury.org/SNTFaq.asp

Q: My child with autism likes stories. Do you have a story about car safety seats?

A: Ask your child's speech therapist to write a special story for your child. The following story is an example: RIDING IN THE CAR When we go places, we ride in the car. When we get in the car, we always have to keep our car seat buckled. Keeping the car seat buckeled makes us safe. When I keep my car seat buckled, I will get to play with my favorite toy(s)that I want! Making good choices makes my mom and dad happy. When my mom and dad are happy, this makes me happy. Unbuckling my car seat or trying to get out of my car seat is not good. When I do something that is not good, my mom and dad are sad, this makes me sad. It is better to be good in the car so that I get to do fun things. I need to remember to keep my car seat buckled every time I ride in the car.



Q: Would a behavior plan keep my child from getting out of her car safety seat or seat belt?

A: Yes. Consistent use of a behavior plan may help prevent your child from escaping her car seat. Ask your behavioral psychologist, therapist, or pediatrician to help you make a behavior plan you can follow every ride.



Q: What should be in a behavior plan?

A: Teach your child what you expect when riding in the car: Tell your child what the rules are when in the car. If your child has communication delays you may need to use picture cues to explain the desired behavior and reward system. Praise and Reward your child: Praise your child for good behaviors and offer rewards your child likes. Give your child a reward such as a sticker for staying buckled up. At first, you may need to give your child more rewards, more often. For example, give her a sticker every time you come to a stoplight or every minute she follows the plan. Gradually increase the amount of time between rewards until she receives one reward for the full trip. Let her choose the reward she will earn by following the plan. You may need to use a choice board with things that your child likes. Consider a special toy that she can only have in the car, such as a soft book, soft toy, or music tapes. (Hard toys could hurt your child in a crash). As your child becomes too used to the toys, replace them with different ones. Be consistent: Make sure everyone who travels with your child uses the same behavior plan every time the child rides in the car. Follow the plan every trip. Set boundries/Discipline Set limits for behaviors that are okay and not okay when riding in the car and stick to them. Praise and reward good behaviors immediately. Ignore behaviors that are not dangerous.

Good luck! HTH!

~Kecia
 

MaKoski

New member
My DD used a ez-on vest last year on the school bus, Some kids are able to get out of them, even the back zip up ones. I'd try the social stories or a reward chart/sticker chart with dollar store toys/games for every 5 stickers or something.( but start out with a new $1 toy to help keep his attention while he earns another.)
 

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