“In recent years, parents and professionals have become increasingly aware of not only the dangers associated with wandering by children with autism, but also the emotional toll this places on families and the limits it imposes on activities,” Dr. Adesman said.

Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder experience higher risks of injuries when they ‘wander away’ from their parents or adults who look after them. Parents will do everything to keep their family protected; by installing window bars at home with fear that their children might wander around and get lost, or have a fatal accident. This instance has caused stress for families.

GPS Trackers for Kids

New research has been recognized from 2017 Pediatric Academic Societies Meeting conveys that electronic tracking devices worn by children may reduce frequency of children wandering around and help alleviate parents’ anxiety.

Studies Reveal

According to nationwide estimates, more than 250,000 children with autism and other developmental disorders stray away from adult supervision every year, said Andrew Adesman, MD, FAAP, Chief of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics at the Seven and Alexandra Cohen Children’s Medical Center of New York and a senior investigator for the abstracts being presented about the “Impact of Tracking Device Technology on Quality of Life for Families with a Child with an Autism Spectrum Disorder”.

“Given the magnitude of safety risks and parental concerns, it is important to find evidence-based solutions that reduce the likelihood of injury to children and can provide parents with less reason for worry,” he said.

The Benefits of GPS Trackers to Parents

For this study, experts and research workers examined online survey responses from over 1000 parents asked to get involved through autism organizations nationwide. These parents answered about their children’s developmental analysis and the frequency of their wandering habits as well as the strategies they used to avoid such incidents by adding locks, physical barriers, harnesses and tracking devices that used radio, bluetooth and GPS to help parents quickly find children who wandered off.

The Results

Based on results, it turns out that electronic tracking devices lowered cases of parent-rated wandering severity by almost 23% while having wider effects on household anxiety levels, routines and desired quality of life. Dr. Adesman concludes that physicians and healthcare professionals for children most at risk of  wandering should be informed about the use of electronic devices and counsel parents about the conceivable benefits.

People also read: National Guidelines for Autism Diagnosis