AngelSense anyone?

[TwoCubs]

Have any of you guys used AngelSense or some version of a gps tracker for your kids? Preferences, experiences, pros and cons?

[irie feeling]

My wife bought my kid a gizmo gadget phone watch. She always knows where the kid is at, plugged in mommy contact and grandparent contact. The kid can call any time. Has instant messaging and voice messaging and is also for if daddy needs help. ( I take it at swim class, Girl Scouts and times she don't need it)

[Kwak]

We looked into it but with Justin's issues I couldn't guarantee that it - or anything it was attached to - would remain on his person.

If this is in regard to your child's recent elopement while I can empathize I would be proactive and consult with your local police department if your child has a formal diagnosis for autism spectrum disorder and shows a recurring obsession for elopement. Have you looked into the AWAARE collaborative initiative and the associated Big Red Safety Toolkit?

http://awaare.nationalautismassociation.org/

[TwoCubs]

Thanks. Looking in to it.

[Kwak]

I was just randomly scanning through the forum and this came up on my personal radar. How has it been going, TwoCubs? Did you find something that worked for you?

FWIW I've been YouTube and social media following several families who are sharing their own struggles. I've talked to Porschephile offline about this and he does too. One family has a 13 year old daughter who once had elopement problems - she actually made it out of the house and to a retaining pond near their home in Jacksonville, FL - and they shared several ideas. Many may work for you:

1: nanny cams: being Millennials they are married to their smart phones. They have a series of nanny cams located throughout their house that they can access from their phones. This frees them up to be able to focus on other things.

2: localized home security system that has motion sensing features that can be turned on when they go to bed. They use one called Simple Safe which is less expensive than the subscription/call center supported one that the techphile father installed himself.

3: community awareness: they belong to a HOA with a neighborhood watch. They went door to door with cards informing them of their daughter's disability and potential scenarios. Basically, if neighbors see her wandering then something is wrong.

4: project lifesaver: this is something that we've heard about that involves local law enforcement. Basically, it's similar to item #3 on this list but relies on the resources of police communications.

Anyway, they did a video on their YouTube channel about this topic, which in the community is called "elopement." Here's the link.