Category: Tips and Tricks

Tips and Tricks: Freedom from the chair

by James, posted in Tips and Tricks

Going out in public is difficult for Daniel. He often gets overwhelmed with the people and the noise. When this happens, he tends to shut down and either run or flop down on the ground. In order to combat this, we got him a wheelchair last year. You can read about that in the post Tips and Tricks: Managing Crowds.

This has been an excellent way for us to manage everyday life and still do things the other boys want to do. Yet there are times when the wheelchair limits are ability to do and see things. In these cases, we would divide and conquer.

This method is manageable most of the time. We realized this would be a problem when we planned our vacation to Colorado Springs this year. We wanted to do several things that required Daniel to walk, and neither of us wanted to stay behind. Fortunately, we found Child Harnesses by Elaine, at www.childharness.ca. (This may sound like an commercial, but I love the product that much!)

I was not sure about the harness thing at first. It is a little strange to put your child in a harness. However, it was one of the best purchases we have ever made in terms of improving our quality of life.dscn1352.jpg

The harness is a simple strap setup that goes over the shoulders. There are two straps that wrap around under the arms and across the chest. I spent the extra money and had Elaine sew a handle on the back and put the two handed buckles on the harness. I also ordered two crotch straps and the parent to child tether. All total, with the upgrades, including shipping from Canada, the harness cost me $178.00.

This may seem like a lot, but it is a small price to pay for the piece of mind and the freedom we got. We 20170804_101511.jpgwere able to hike and take the Mollie Kathleen gold mine tour, which took us 1,000 feet underground. Both of these activities would not have been possible without the harness. With the parent to child tether on, Daniel can not get more than two feet from me. When he would try to flop down, instead of me attempting to manhandle him, I could grab the built in handle and lift him up. The combination of the crotch straps and strap under the arms make it uncomfortable enough he does not want to throw himself down. (The handle is not really intended for that purpose, but that is how I do it.)

If you have a child with special needs, or any child for that matter, that is prone to wander, one of Elaine’s harnesses can restore some freedom to life.

Have another way to keep your child safe in public? We would love to hear about it in the comments below. Please share this with other families.

Oral stemming and dental hygiene

by James, posted in Tips and Tricks, Victories

I took three of the four boys to the dentist a couple weeks ago. Trips to the dentist can be a challenge for any of the kids. We never know what to expect with Daniel.

I am usually prepared for the worst. Most of the time that comes from Josh and Aaron. They are both at the age where brushing teeth is not something they remember and when they do, the efforts are minimal. To make matters worse, Josh has braces. Our last orthodontist trip ended with me having a visit with the hygienist because he was not brushing well. The dentist visit ended with a similar scolding.

Super D is the wild card. So far he has done very well, aside from trying to bite fingers when she was attempting to get the x-rays. We managed to get pictures of the front teeth, but the backs were not happening. I don’t blame him, having that sensor shoved into the back of your throat is not fun for anyone.

Well, I take that back. I ran into a friend there with her two girls. The youngest was so excited to tell me how she was going to get x-rays!

Dental hygiene is another challenging area for Daniel. I’ll admit, he often only gets his teeth brushed once a week. We ended up buying him some DenTrust three sided toothbrushes. These are wonderful things for children with oral sensory issues. Daniel will still bite down on them, but we can usually get all the teeth brushed. The three sided design means one pass covers every surface.

He does better each time we go. This visit, he allowed them to brush his teeth and floss them. Letting the dentist examine his teeth was not as popular. The best part, listening to him giggle as the toothbrush tickled his gums.

The dentist asked if he had oral sensory issues. I expected her to tell me he had broken or chipped a tooth. Fortunately, this was not the case. She told me the oral sensory seeking actually helps keep his teeth healthy. The constant chewing and saliva clean plaque off the teeth and wash it away. Hopefully he continues to be blessed with good teeth.

The next checkup, Baby B gets his teeth check too. He loves to imitate Super D. Hopefully he will follow in Daniel’s footsteps when it comes to dental visits.

Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory in the heavens. Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger. – Psalm 8:2

Tips and Tricks: Limiting the Wandering – Part Three

by James, posted in Tips and Tricks

This is the third post in our Limiting the Wandering series. Be sure to check out Part One and Part Two!

Leaving the house without us is a big problem for Super D. He is very independent, yet not very safety conscious. Teaching him to respect the boundary of the street is not going to happen. So, we have an issue to solve.

The janitor closet lock set works great for non-essential doors. But securing main exit doors is another problem. Having to find a key is not an option.

I am not thrilled with the solution we found, but it serves the purpose.

The solution we settled on was to install a sliding bolt on the exit doors. We placed it high enough it is not a temptation, but low enough everyone else can reach it. If he really tried, Super D could reach it. On the front door I drilled into the jamb. This causes the lock to bind slightly unless a person pushes on the door. On the back door, the latch portion of the bolt is used.

During the day, when Daniel is home, the bolt is locked. At night I unlock these sliding bolts and lock the deadbolt.

If we planned on staying in this house, or knew we would need a permanent solution, I would have installed electric deadbolts in both doors. With the keypad on the inside of the door, the door could be secured but still allow you to enter into the house when it is locked. Programing a simple code using the same number would allow a quick escape when needed. However, for our current situation, I did not want to drill additional holes in the exterior doors.

How do you keep you children who are prone to wander safe and secure when the great outdoors calls?

Tips and Tricks: Limiting the Wandering – Part Two

by James, posted in Tips and Tricks

The garage is a big temptation for Super D. I guess I should refine that statement. The tractor in the garage is a big temptation for Super D. He loves tractors. If the garage door is open, he is likely to be sitting on it. It was a great blessing to see him get excited over something until the day he discovered he could open the door to the garage and have access to the tractor anytime he wanted.

His new found “freedom” created new challenges for us. For a while a security chain worked. It was not long before he was tall enough to reach it. The big problem we have is, if I raise the chain up to where he can not reach it, my 10 year old will not be able to reach it either. Super D is almost as tall as he is.

The solution hit me one night when the janitorial closet door closed behind me at work. A storage room autolock knob would allow us to have access to the garage from inside the house while keeping Daniel out. The new knob replaced the existing knob without any modification to the door. We keep the key hanging on a cup hook across from the door. It is within Super D’s reach, but he does not show any interest in it at this point. Even if he did, he does not have the fine motor skills to get the key into the lock.

I also installed one on our downstairs bathroom to keep him from playing in there. The best part, each lock has a number on the package. If you buy locks with the same number, they will be keyed the same. In our case, the bathroom is across from the garage door. One key opens either door. The next door to get one will be the door to the basement.

One caveat, I would not use this method if your garage is one of the main emergency exits in your house. We have two other exits, so there is little concern about lost keys in an emergency situation.

What methods do you use to limit access to areas of your home which could be dangerous to a child with special needs?

Tips and Tricks: Limiting the Wandering – Part One

by James, posted in Tips and Tricks

One of the biggest safety concerns we face with Super D is his wandering. This is a concern with a lot of special needs children, especially those on the spectrum. Controlling the wandering while still providing a safe and pleasant environment is crucial. Yet this is often easier said than done.

Sometimes it takes a little creativity and, in my case, a little redneck ingenuity.

Our first wandering issue we had to handle was at bedtime. All kids like to fight sleep. However, with Super D, fighting sleep means running out of his room. He also wakes up in the night. It is vary rare for him to stay in bed all night long. If he wakes up in the night, he will run the house and possibly the neighborhood. We took a trip to Branson, Missouri, after the baby was born. At one point Super D woke up in the night, went to the kitchen in the condo, got some chips and then turned the tv on.

There are special beds out there which are basically large cribs, but for a 5-year-old who is the size of a 8-year-old and loves to climb, this would not have worked. I thought about turning the door knob around and locking it from the hall. However, I could not stand the idea of the closed room where he couldn’t see us and we couldn’t see him.

20160814_130324My solution, a modified dutch door. For those who may not be familiar with a dutch door, it is two half doors instead of one full door. In our case, I built one which is a little bigger than half out of four 2×4’s, a 2×6 and a piece of drywall left over from a renovation project. I built it large enough to use the existing bottom and middle hinge. That way the original door can be quickly reinstalled. A simple eye bolt holds it closed. Super D can’t climb it, he can see out and we can see him. While it isn’t the best looking door ever, it serves the purpose. In the event he would kick it or throw something at it, the drywall can easily be replaced. If he should fall against it, the drywall will give way and without seriously injuring him. If he was prone to fits or was violent at times, I would replace the drywall with a sheet of plywood.

How do you keep you roaming child in bed at night?

Tips and Tricks: Managing Crowds

by James, posted in Tips and Tricks

I mentioned in a previous post that crowds are overwhelming for Super D. This can be an issue for many children with autism. If crowds are not the issue, roaming can be. The extreme sensory input from a large group of people can be terrifying when you can not process it. I have come to realize I struggle with it myself at times.

As we were preparing to make a 2,500 mile, week and a half trip to the Cleveland Clinic and Washington DC, we discussed this concern with the staff at the Lee Ann Britain Center. They suggested taking a wheel chair they had in the basement. This was the greatest thing we would ever do. The five point harness provided some much-needed support and confinement that allowed him to tolerate the people. Super D was able to sleep when he wanted and was safe when he had seizures. For us, the piece of mind it brought allowed us to relax and enjoy time with the kids. No fits, no wandering off and no seizures in the middle of crowded tourist spots.1054281454591053

If you are planing a big trip, or just a trip to the mall, it would be worth renting or borrowing a wheelchair. We ended up getting Super D his own. It looks like an oversized stroller and folds down for transport. Ours is the Convaid Cruiser. The best part, our insurance paid for it!

What tips and tricks have you used to manage crowds?

Tips and Tricks

by James, posted in Tips and Tricks

Navigating life with a child with special needs can be a real challenge. There are so many ways to make life easier. Finding those ways can sometimes be difficult. The internet is full of ideas, half of which are sketchy at best.

In an effort to make deciphering the mess of information a little easier, the tips and tricks posts will share things we have tried that worked and some that didn’t. Some of these we have come up with on our own. A large number will have come from our time at the Lee Ann Britain Infant Development Center. I hope it will benefit my readers and make life a little easier.