Special needs child unbuckling 5-point harness, HELP!

U

Unregistered

Guest
Our 8-year-old has Down Syndrome and autism. He's about 44" tall and weighs around 50 pounds. He sits in a 5-point harness ( Britax Frontier). He is very much able to open both the chest clip and the bottom buckle. We turned the bottom buckle so that the red button faces in towards him, which keeps him from opening it, but we're unable to figure out a way to keep his chest clip closed. Once he opens it, he shrugs out of the top of the harness and unbuckles any seat belts he can reach.

On the school bus, he has a special needs harness that clips to the bus's seat and zips up the back. However, this harness can 't be used with a car seat, and since his legs are short, he needs a booster at least to keep him sitting upright.

Can you help us, please? Our son may have intellectual disabilities, but he is a Houdini when it comes to escaping.

Thank you!

Mary
 
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ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob
Staff member
I absolutely do not think flipping the buckle is a good idea.

Merritt sells a buckle guard that has been crash tested with that buckle, I'd use that instead.

As for the chest clip, is he pulling his arms out?

If worst comes to worst, the vest he uses on the bus, assuming it's an Ez-On, CAN be used in the car, you just have to install the Floor Mount rather than the Bus Mount. (Only works with access to the back of the seat, through the bight- captain's chairs, van benches, station wagons and some sedans where you can access through the trunk.)
 

Mommy!

Active member
Re. the chest clip, I`ve heard of some people putting a piece of rough textured cloth (prickly side of velcro) on it; that worked for our neighbour`s daughter. Probably only useful with a child who has an aversion to certain textures though. And it would have to be a totally `parental choice`. The way our neighbour did it it didn`t interfere with the chest clip at all, not buckling or unbuckling it, it`s on the outside, not between the clip and the child. They`re on vacation now or I`d get a photo.
 

ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob
Staff member
The HUGS would have to be removed to use the chest clip guard which is why I didn't suggest it at first. IF he's removing his arms, I might call Britax and see what they say; I know the seat passes without the HUGS, it does BETTER with them, but even if they can't approve it I might make a parental decision to do it because the harness wouldn't be safely used at all without it.
 
U

Unregistered

Guest
He's removing his arms after he unbuckles the chest clip. He isn't over sensitive to textures, and being able to reach windows, lights, and his sibling's buckle is a pretty strong reward in his mind, probably worth a bit of discomfort.

I do realize that turning the belt buckle backwards (twisting it) is not optimal; however, it seems acceptable, compared with the harrowing experience my husband had where our son completely unbuckled himself and then *opened the door* (our oldest son had decided that he was too old for the childproof door lock and had flipped the switch inside the door, without asking or telling my husband) on DH's Mazda 5 while they were in rush hour traffic on the interstate...DH had to grab our son and hold him behind himself with one arm as he pulled off the road to re-buckle him and shut and lock the door. It was awful. We'd like to keep him in a 5-point seat as long as possible (which is why we bought that seat).

The harness he wears for the bus has no brand label. It has a picture of a parachute or hot air balloon to help us find the front, it zips up the back and is clipped to a contraption on the bus. My son is still quite small for his age and has low muscle tone, so we would like to keep him in a car seat rather than just the harness in our cars. Also, a friend of mine who has a son with the same diagnoses as my son told me that her son was almost strangled in that same harness because he squirmed down too far. He's safe on the bus because he has a 1:1 aide, but we don't have that in our car.

It's a frustrating and frightening situation. We don't drive him anywhere right now, unless we absolutely have no choice. He just isn't safe.

Thank you for the website, I will check out the buckle protectors.
 

griffinej5

New member
Does the logo on his school vest look like the one on this page?
http://ezonpro.com/about-us/
I have a client who has a vest from his school, and it looks like what your describe except I'm not sure about the logo. If it's not too icy to get to him today, I can try looking at it to see if I can find a brand label.
Given that your son also has autism, is it possible that there is some way you can receive behavior analysis services for him, or that he does receive this? If so, you could have a plan developed by the behavior analyst. Additionally, if you are unable to get a plan through some means in home, if he attempts it on the school bus but is stopped because there is an aide sitting next to him, you could try requesting that the school develop a behavior plan for it. It's obviously a life threatening behavior, so treatment of it is critical. Unfortunately I am only really familiar with the system in PA as that's where I work.
 

ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob
Staff member
Those vests are not one-size-fits all... If her son was able to slump in it, it was not fitted properly.

The problem with flipping the buckle backward is that we don't know what would happen in a crash. There's a chance it could open and he could be ejected or partially ejected and killed. I strongly recommend you get the buckle guard that works (and is crash tested) with that buckle instead. Here's the page for that: http://eztether.com/index.php/home-accessories (it also has the chest clip guard we were talking about, though as I mentioned you'd need to talk to Britax about removing the HUGS.)

I would also recommend you contact a special needs trained tech in your area to help you access special needs restraints if necessary.
 

AustinMusic

Active member
Also, a friend of mine who has a son with the same diagnoses as my son told me that her son was almost strangled in that same harness because he squirmed down too far.

Those vests are not one-size-fits all... If her son was able to slump in it, it was not fitted properly.

Having used E-Z-On vests in our family car for a while, I wholly agree with Ketchupqueen – if the child slumped down in the vest, it was definitely not being used correctly. When properly fitted and secured the E-Z-On is very supportive and it is almost entirely impossible for the occupant to slump or wriggle downwards.

We currently use the front-opening 102 model vest but have in the past used the 103Z back-closing model. Given the main concern seems to be unbuckling, the back-closing vest might be an appropriate solution. The metal clips are very stiff and attach at certain points in a specific way, which make it very awkward for the occupant to release himself/herself.

Should you decide to use the E-Z-On vest, then please be aware – as Ketchupqueen has stated – for use in the family vehicle, given the behavioural concerns, you will need to use the E-Z-ON Floor Mount for Family Vehicles. This will possibly require the installation of different tether anchor points in the vehicle. This can be done at a reputable auto service garage or at home. If you choose the latter, there is a pictorial guide on how to do so here on the forum: Guide to Installing E-Z-On Heavy Duty Tether Anchors.

Moreover, I agree with others who recommend contacting a special needs trained Child Passenger Safety Technician to get expert advice.

The harness definitely sounds like an EZ-ON. Is it light blue?

While it is very likely the vest used on the bus is an E-Z-On product, it may not be. While the majority of E-Z-On vests are light blue, the first 103Z vest we owned was burgundy in colour. To find out if it is an E-Z-On product it should have a label stitched (or glued) to the shoulder and/or chest straps. These are the locations of the labels on our 103Z vest:

E-Z-On_103Z_Vest_Label_Locations_zps97fbde8d.png


It is worth noting that if the bus restraint is not an E-Z-On vest, it will not be approved for use in a family vehicle in conjunction with any E-Z-On product; you will need to purchase both an E-Z-On Vest and the Floor Mount to use together.

I hope you find some kind of solution soon, and if you need any other info on the 103Z vest, I'd be glad to help where I can.:)
 
U

Unregistered

Guest
Hi, sorry for my delayed response.

The harness is light blue and is an EZ harness 103Z/S.S

My concern about using it in the car is that he gets no head/neck support from our van's seats. He's really small for 8, and he has low muscle tone. Our developmental ped wrote a letter for us to get the bus harness because the transportation dept wanted to just have him sit on a bench seat with a lap belt. !!! The EZ harness at least has 5 points. But in the car, I want him to have good support, especially on long trips. He gets tired from sitting for too long. I like how his current seat gives him some back support. Plus, the edge of the seat hits quite a bit below his knees when he just sits in the regular seat (not to go anywhere). I've been under the impression that their knees need to reach the seat edge before the booster can go away? Do I have that wrong?
 

AustinMusic

Active member
The harness is light blue and is an EZ harness 103Z/S.S

Foremost, at least you know which vest he is using on the bus:). The instruction manual for the model can be viewed on the E-Z-On website here. It might be worth downloading for future reference. Should the need arise, you can then check it is being used correctly on the bus.

I've been under the impression that their knees need to reach the seat edge before the booster can go away? Do I have that wrong?

You are correct. To pass one part of the Five-Step Test, the child’s knees must bend comfortably over the edge of the vehicle seat cushion. The five step test can be viewed in detail here on carseatblog.com.

My concern about using it in the car is that he gets no head/neck support from our van's seats.

When you say “no head/neck support” from the van seats, do you mean there are no head restraints fitted? Or, if there are head restraints fitted, his size is such that they are of little or no benefit in terms of providing support?

I understand he rides in a Britax Frontier using the 5-point harness and also that he uses a booster. Does he lack support in both seats or just one?

He's really small for 8, and he has low muscle tone...I want him to have good support, especially on long trips.

The E-Z-On Vest is very supportive when fitted and used correctly. However, if he requires head support, then you may need to consider other options.

While I am by no means an expert, I think there are two main factors to be addressed.

First, I would consider the continual unbuckling of the harness or seatbelt. If possible investigate why this consistently occurs. It could be linked to a lack of support or it may be a sensory or behavioural issue. If it can be addressed you might not need to purchase a new seat. However, if the issue persists then I would consider looking at the Merritt Manufacturing chest clip and buckle guard as Ketchupqueen and DCBINDY have recommended. Details can be found at www.escapeproof.net.

Second, I would think about support needs. Does the Frontier provide adequate support? If not, what seats could provide this support? I think his size and weight is a benefit in this case – you are able to choose from regular seats as well as special needs seats. It is generally recommended to consider regular seats before special needs seats/restraints; they tend to be less expensive and there is a much wider choice.

If you do consider special needs seats, don’t forget to research the accessories available for each seat. Some have positioning wedges and extra foam supports approved for use with the given seat.

On a different note, if your van does not have head restraints fitted, please be aware those seating positions which lack head restraints are unsafe for any occupant as they would be at risk from neck/spinal injuries in the event of a crash or impact. If necessary, I would aim to address this as soon as possible.

I hope this helps, if there are any other issues I’d be glad to try and help.:)
 
U

Unregistered

Guest
Hi,

We absolutely have headrests in the van, on all seats. However, Andrew is short. If we were to use the EZ-On harness, he would just be sitting in the seat, with the harness affixed in place. Which I assume means no booster OR car seat (or do I have this wrong? Can you use the EZ-on with a carseat/booster??).

Andrew is used to a very supportive seat. The back is curved around him, and he's got the wings to rest his head on if he falls asleep. If we were to switch to the EZ-on in our car, he wouldn't get that kind of support. His head doesn't come up to the top of the middle-row van seat. The seat back is very flat, compared with his Frontier. I just can't imagine that this would give him enough support in a crash (especially from the side), even if the EZ-on keeps him safely tied into his seat.

We are planning to buy the chest clip block from Merrit--it looks like a great design! If it keeps his chest clip buckled, then our issue with the seat belts will go away. He can't reach when he's properly buckled. :)

Thank you for the link to the EZ-on manual. What a great resource!! I never even thought about the possibility that it's not installed properly on the bus! :)

Thanks for answering my questions. :)
 

ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob
Staff member
Some EZ-on harnesses provide for use with a booster, but if he's an unbuckler, I'm not sure if that's an option- you should call EZ-On.

I'd try the chest clip and buckle guard (since it is incredibly dangerous to have the buckle reversed on his seat) first, though.

In the long term, you may need insurance to pay for a special needs seat, such as the Merritt Roosevelt.
 

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