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By Greg Bartlett

Autistic individuals have a tendency to wander. According to a recent study by the National Autism Association, 92% of autistic children will wander away from home at least once. Wandering is a serious issue for the families of autistic individuals, especially because of concerns about safety.

One autism association notes that drowning is one of the top safety risks because autistic individuals are drawn to water but don’t realize the danger of drowning. If your autistic child wanders away and finds a pond, chances are your child may drown before you even realize he or she is missing.

Naturally, concerned family members are doing everything possible to ensure the safety of their autistic loved one. They attempt to keep close tabs on the individual, teach him or her to swim, and may also give informational flyers to neighbors and police officers who might be able to help in case the individual does wander off.

However, one of the best options is a GPS tracking device. Since GPS devices are small and can be easily carried by an individual, it won’t be burdensome to the autistic child or adult. In fact, some companies now offer GPS tracking enabled shoes and clothing so that as long as the individual is wearing the shoes or the item of clothing, you can track him or her.

A GPS tracking device will let you know exactly where the individual is at all times. If your child wanders off, you don’t have to institute a search in the entire neighborhood – and beyond – to find him or her. In fact, many companies offer a GPS tracking device which will even alert you if the wearer goes outside predetermined boundaries or goes into certain areas. For instance, if your child manages to get out of your back yard, you’d receive an alert instantly. If you already know where the water areas in your neighborhood are, such as ponds, lakes, and pools, you could enter them into the GPS system and be alerted if your child goes near any of the locations.

Locating your wandering autistic child quickly is vital for the safety of your child and may be an issue of life and death. Help protect your autistic child with a GPS tracking device so that you can know where your child is at all times and receive alerts if he or she starts wandering. A GPS device won’t stop your child from wandering, but it may help save a life.