Any tips for a child that cannot talk?

[HARVEYSGIRL]

My son is 8 years old and cannot talk plainly. He has a serious developmenatal delay (he is around 4 years old mentally) as well as seizures. His first trip to Disney will be in July and we are worried about losing him. He knows no fear so we really have to keep him close. I need to label him so that If he is lost someone can find us. I also want to let people know about his medical problems. I suggested making shirts but my husband doesn't like the idea of having his info so public. Any ideas on something that he would be likely to wear. I can't have anything that will annoy him or it will be gone in a heart beat. I would love to hear what other parents have done. Thanks!!!:goodvibes

[DTDkettleCORNfan]

I have heard of many parents making a dog tag for their child. You can have them made at Walmart or Petsmart, and have your names and cell phone numbers engraved on them. Then tie them securely onto their shoes using their shoelaces. Although this means your child has to wear tie tennies.....rather than velcro ones or sandals. Anyway....I have considered doing that for my kiddos. Have a wonderful trip!

[lauren5406]

My 8 year old brother has the same problem. He can speak but not at a level at which anyone outside of our family can understand him. We have a Road ID. Check out their website at www.roadid.com

[Eeyores Butterfly]

An ID bracelet would be a good idea.

I would make talking "cards" for him that he could use for things like character interactions. The characters love to interact with the children, so if he had something he could show them it would enchance the interaction. Maybe something with his name, or who is favorite character is, or even a question he could ask them. The name is great because then the cahracters could personalize the autograph.

[mazz1]

just a idea but does he have a particular toy or teddy that he clings onto that can come everywhere as this would be a good item to tag

my daughter when she was younger had "bunny" that went everywhere (he was her security that she clung onto in the crazy mixed up confusing world) and knowing that she wouldn't let us tag her we tagged bunny instead and we knew that this was the one thing she would never let go of

now she's older we use a backpack as described below

here in the uk we can get hold of a harness like this and i know a few mums who use them http://www.crelling.com/WALKING%20REINS.html and i wondered if anything like this would be any use to you, can you get similar in the US? or do you think it would be unsuitable

it's not really suitable for us so what we use is a adapted backpack

if you attach a small toy or similar to a coil like chain that curls back in on itself to a backpack and let the child wear the backpack this way you keep hold when you are worried without them knowing

a plastic epilespy id bracelet could be atached too and the backpack has a added bonus in that the child can carry their precious goodies inside:)

[Tiggerish]

Last year, every morning just before they got on the bus to head to the park, my sister-in-law would take a picture of the kids with her digital camera. That way, if either got separated, we would know exactly what they were wearing. Also, each of the kids had a small tag tied to their shoe with their name, the parents' names, dad's cell # and the resort we were staying at. You can tie to velcro shoes, it just takes a little playing around to find the spot.

[mechurchlady]

Most people at parks do not care what is wrong with another person.

For CM interaction you can make a little business card that says what your child's limitations are, things it likes, things to avoid at all costs, etc. Just hand the handler or face character the card and they can read privately the info.

It is hard enough to have limitations without someone blaring HE IS XXX. Part of the park magic is that you are not different or a freak or have limitations. Nobody cares if you are a picky eater, cannot talk, or cannot walk as everyone is special in parks.

Harness or coveralls are great for runners. Hold onto the overalls at least gives you some control.

PEC boards are great and you could do like Butterfly said and give him a printed page with things he can point to. Also let him yammer away with characters even if nobody understands him. They get kids who speak foreign languages so why not a disabled kid who does not speak clearly. If they do not understand they will give you a look or ask. They are great with kids who have special needs and who have limitations.

[lalapodip]

For every day, not just Disney, I would highly recommend enrolling in Medic Alert http://www.medicalert.org/asa/ - you buy a bracelet that the child cannot remove (I know this can be challenging, but we perservered - even losing one bracelet! :)) and your personal information is kept at medicalert. The great thing about medicalert is that you keep your information updated online - no need for a new bracelet if any info changes (personal or medical). You're not "advertising" a disability, but protecting your child in case he is separated from you. My son is 14 and we've been members since he was 6. Also, medical personnel are trained to look for the bracelet, which is helpful for any allergies or conditions like seizures, which my son also has.

It's a great idea to take a daily picture before heading to the park!

I personally also like "awareness" shirts - my son is autistic, so we'll wear "autism awareness" or walk-a-thon shirts. This is definitely a personal preference!! I also will try to wear a matching shirt with my son - goes hand in hand with taking that daily picture, god forbid he makes a run for it, you can easily describe what he's wearing!! HTH

p.s. edited to add that we have found the characters to be WONDERFUL when we explain the developmental delay....the best picture EVER of my son is during his first trip at age 7, one hand on his head, the other hand touching BUZZ's face and the absolute look of WONDER in his eyes (HOW can Buzz be here??)...seek out your son's favorite character! :) They spend extra time and IN GENERAL others are understanding....

[Cheshire Figment]

There are a couple of threads here related to picture cards and small looseleaf notebooks with pictures. I don't pay much attention to them but there are others here who can point you in the right direction for a non-verbal child.

[SueM in MN]

For every day, not just Disney, I would highly recommend enrolling in Medic Alert http://www.medicalert.org/asa/ - you buy a bracelet that the child cannot remove (I know this can be challenging, but we perservered - even losing one bracelet! :)) and your personal information is kept at medicalert. The great thing about medicalert is that you keep your information updated online - no need for a new bracelet if any info changes (personal or medical). You're not "advertising" a disability, but protecting your child in case he is separated from you. My son is 14 and we've been members since he was 6. Also, medical personnel are trained to look for the bracelet, which is helpful for any allergies or conditions like seizures, which my son also has.

It's a great idea to take a daily picture before heading to the park!

I personally also like "awareness" shirts - my son is autistic, so we'll wear "autism awareness" or walk-a-thon shirts. This is definitely a personal preference!! I also will try to wear a matching shirt with my son - goes hand in hand with taking that daily picture, god forbid he makes a run for it, you can easily describe what he's wearing!! HTH

p.s. edited to add that we have found the characters to be WONDERFUL when we explain the developmental delay....the best picture EVER of my son is during his first trip at age 7, one hand on his head, the other hand touching BUZZ's face and the absolute look of WONDER in his eyes (HOW can Buzz be here??)...seek out your son's favorite character! :) They spend extra time and IN GENERAL others are understanding....
::yes::
I was going to suggest Medic Alert for all the reasons you did.

All the characters have a handler with them and it can be very helpful to clue the handler in to your child's needs. It doesn't have to be an elaborate explanation. Some handlers in the past have written that saying something like "This is one of Mickey's special friends" and explaining a little bit about what the child likes/doesn't like can be very helpful.
There are a couple of threads here related to picture cards and small looseleaf notebooks with pictures. I don't pay much attention to them but there are others here who can point you in the right direction for a non-verbal child.
There are links to these in post #3 of the disABILITIES FAQs thread, under Communication. THere is a link to the FAQs thread in my signature.

[Eeyores Butterfly]

::yes::
I was going to suggest Medic Alert for all the reasons you did.

All the characters have a handler with them and it can be very helpful to clue the handler in to your child's needs. It doesn't have to be an elaborate explanation. Some handlers in the past have written that saying something like "This is one of Mickey's special friends" and explaining a little bit about what the child likes/doesn't like can be very helpful.

There are links to these in post #3 of the disABILITIES FAQs thread, under Communication. THere is a link to the FAQs thread in my signature.

I always appreciated it when people clued us in to possible issues. I can remember one kid who came up wearing an "I'm not bad, I have autism" shirt. This particular child had a tendency to hit, and the parents alerted us to this. Nothing happened, but I was glad they said something so I knew to watch his hands.

[SueM in MN]

I always appreciated it when people clued us in to possible issues. I can remember one kid who came up wearing an "I'm not bad, I have autism" shirt. This particular child had a tendency to hit, and the parents alerted us to this. Nothing happened, but I was glad they said something so I knew to watch his hands.
::yes::
I was thinking of some of the things you and other CMs had posted in the past.

[stacyzerr]

I've also seen "Tattoos" that you can put on a child that will allow you to put identifying & contact information. I'm not sure where you can purchase them, but it might be worth a google search.

[Ctsplaysinrain]

http://www.safetytat.com/

[robynchic]

I'm considering getting an adjustable bracelet from Lauren's Hope (http://www.laurenshope.com/products.aspx?catid=156&page=-1) for my penicillin and severe nut allergies as well as my asthma (I think it'll make it easier for me to wear it in WDW and on our cruise). You can include a lot of information on one of the little strips.

As you can see, the note that it's a medical alert bracelet is big. You can teach him that if he can't see you or your husband, that he can go up to anyone wearing a name tag (make sure he knows what a CM name tag looks like) and ask them to help him take it off so they can look at the information.

Do not make t-shirts- having the information so plain to see is dangerous. A dog tag is a good idea, but may not fit enough information on it.

ETA: Medic Alert makes a tag that can be put on a shoe (http://www.medicalert.com/emblems/A661.jpg) that could be very helpful. Again, if he gets lost, he can show off the "cool thing" to a CM.

[Joanna71985]

All the characters have a handler with them and it can be very helpful to clue the handler in to your child's needs. It doesn't have to be an elaborate explanation. Some handlers in the past have written that saying something like "This is one of Mickey's special friends" and explaining a little bit about what the child likes/doesn't like can be very helpful.

I agree. This is very helpful for the character attendants.

[christymarie]

We just got back with our 6yo who is non-verbal and a flight risk. I was so stressed out about losing him but things went well. We do have an Autism Service dog who does tracking so that gave us a plan B if we did lose him.

One thing I would highly recommend is a stroller. We used a Maclaren Major special needs stroller that goes to 100 pounds. It was fantastic to use as a buffer between DS and the crowds and has a 5pt harness that allowed him to be a bit more secure. This was also great because we were able to use the handicapped entrances by getting a sticker that identified the stroller to be used as a wheelchair. If we kept moving Ds did really well staying in the stroller. This also helped other people to realize that there was something else going on by seeing our sticker and the special stroller. It helped a lot.

You can rent a Maclaren down there.

[toodycat]

When J was little and could not talk very well, we made him a hospital bracelet with our names, cell phone # and hotel on it. He knew that if he was lost, he could show someone the bracelet. Sometimes, we used walkie talkies to keep track of him since he could hear us even if he wasn't able to talk on the walky talky clearly. (Later on, when he was more verbal, he got his own cell phone.) Also, when he was small, we brought the same T-shirt in about five different bright colors (turquoise, hot pink, bright yellow, jade green etc.) You couldn't miss the T-shirt in any crowd, not to mention the Mickey ears, sorcerer's hat or Tigger ears on top.

[BeckyScott]

When DS was younger and not so verbal, I used to write on his stomach with a Sharpie. (hey, it worked!) His first name, the word "autism", and our phone number. It was waterproof and his shirt covered it, and it was not scratchy or hot or heavy. He understood that if he couldn't find us, that he needed to find someone else's mom and pull up his shirt. That was the rule. Since most people now have cell phones, and our phone number right there, we figured that was the best way to go.

Our last trip to WDW, we used the dog tags from WalMart. About Day 2 youngest DS didn't want to wear it, it rubbed his neck and we were all pretty sweaty so I understand how it would be irritating. I took the tag and attached it to his fanny pack, and I also wrote just our phone number on his arm. But he's verbal now and he's old enough to understand better.

As far as the character interactions, I hadn't thought about them in advance and I wasn't sure what he would do. I was with him in line, of course, and when we got to the front, I pulled out our GAC and held it above DS's head, in line with the characters vision. It wouldn't help them know exactly what the child's situation is, but it did give them a heads-up that the child had some sort of special needs. And there's no reason that you as a parent can't go up to the character with the child if you think you need to. Nobody bats an eye at that.

[HARVEYSGIRL]

Thank you all fromthe bottom of my heart for all the great ideas. My developmental pediatrician told me I was crazy to try and go to Disney. I want my son to have a good time and make great memories. I have never hesitated to do anything with him because I don't want to exclude him. I have to say the doc gave me a good scare though. I am sure she is just concerned for his safety because he is a flight risk.

[nevadadis]

Medic alert has some great kids braclets for boys- our son has a bright orange one but they also have soccer, animals, other colors etc... He has a lot of medical issues so I want medic alert to be able to be contacted to give his medications etc.. if we were ever say in a car accident and I couldn't give that information. Our son never takes his off-swims with it etc... It recently broke and we just sent it back and they sent us a new one at no charge.

[SandrainNC]

I didn't read all of the posts, but my 8 year old has Down syndrome and doesn't say a whole lot. And when he does it is hard to understand. I have gotten the Whos Shoes IDs for all of our trips. There is no way he would keep on a bracelet or necklace so these work great for us. They just velcroe to his shoes. I put one on my youngest too even though we can't get him to stop talking!!! ;)

Sandra

[SandrA9810]

my brother could never talk. just make noises. But you could tell when he was happy or frustrated or upset. And we always had really good interactions.

And working with the characters as a photographer, many times there's no talking needed to have a great time. If they do feel the need to talk about something, make sure you're close enough for mom translation. But it helps alot if the kid has something in his hands. Like my brother loves balls and playing catch, so if he had a ball in his hands, the character could take it and toss it back to him. Or if his favorite thing is dinosaurs, wear dino shirts. That's where most the converstations start from.

And nine times out of ten, the little princesses get so star stuck anyways when they finally meet the princesses, there's hardly a two way converstation going on. It's usually the little boys that have the best converstaions with them because they don't aww the princesses.

And watch the attendant and photographer to help you out with character translations... I always did my best to know what they wanted from the kids. So everything went more smoothly.

And as annoying as it sounds, some characters do not give in the extra time they should with special needs kids. But don't just go up and yell for the whole world to know that "he's got XXX". It was always annoying to have parents just yell my kid has autism.
The best thing is to walk up to the character and introduce your son. Saying "Hi mickey, this is my son. Sometimes he has a hard time talking". And always allow for the character to control how much time they spend together. It's so frustrating watching little ones with the time of thier life being yanked away when they're still playing. I always tell the parents, if mickey wants to play, let him, he'll tell you when he's ready to say good-bye.

[SandrA9810]

carefull of same colored t-shirts. You don't want to blend in, but you also don't want to blind anyone else.
Never ever wear red. it is the most popular color, followed by blue (like crayola blue), and bright yellow. It's bright enough standing in the sun here in florida, and then to wear a bright colored t-shirt like neon yellow makes it reflect back into your face. I can't even stand to see it on other people.

colors like turquiose, or green, or orange (just not too bright).

[luvwdwfla2]

We just went to Disney. I used one of the Disney luggage tags for my son who is 6. Had cell phone info and our names, where we were staying, There shuold be enough room for you to add some medical info. We atached it to belt loop.

He actually did get separated from us, luckily it was in the hotel, and he did as taught, and went right to the desk.

[gailanncreates]

Even without a special needs child, I make may family wear the same color shirt every day. My husband asks, "what color day is today?" I never have to look twice to know what to look for; doesn't matter that they are not identical shirts. I have to also wear a bright colored ball cap or visor, so they can spot me. We also had purchased shoe tags for my special needs niece; make sure you put your cell phone number on it!!
Have a magical trip!