Rocky Mountain Tracking

By Greg Bartlett

Both children and adults having autism tend to wander at will. This can put these people in very dangerous situations. Though an autistic individual’s family may be able to watch him or her most of the time, it is impossible for the family to guard them every minute of the day. As of July 2009, recent research suggested that about 92% of autistic young people have a tendency to wander. This is an extremely high rate.

A family ought to have a game plan in place for when such situations develop. The family of the autistic person can prepare by having contact information and a photo identifying the autistic person prepared and distributed to their neighbors and the local police. Another excellent option is to set up a GPS device on the autistic child or adult that will be able to track and monitor the person’s location at all times.

The technology behind GPS devices grew out of World War II technology and was made available to civilians in the 1980’s – due to a United States passenger airplane tragically, though unwittingly, crossing into enemy airspace due to defects in the navigational equipment available to the pilot of the plane and his team.

Out of this tragedy has grown a convenience that is practically taken for granted by many families today. As research is suggesting, a GPS tracking device attached to a child or adult with autism can help save that person’s life. GPS tracking has become a wonderful asset to many different people in the twenty-first century.

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.

By Harriette Halepis

There has been a lot of talk about GPS enabled shoes and devices meant for use with Alzheimer’s patients. However, one large group of people that can really benefit from a GPS tracking device has been largely overlooked.

 
Autistic adults and children are often unaware of the environment around them. This tends to lead to wandering and other dangers. While people that do not have autism would never think of stepping off a bridge into a large body of water, autistic people often do not fear such cautionary areas.

 
Sadly, hundreds of autistic people fall into harm’s way every year. The good news is that most of these accidents can be easily prevented. If you happen to be the main caregiver for an autistic person, you may want to consider a GPS tracking device.
With the help of GPS tracking technology, it is possible to keep an autistic child or adult within a certain “safe” area. If this person wanders out of the safe area, a primary caregiver will be notified right away. Of course, a GPS tracker cannot physically prevent a person from encountering danger, though this type of device can provide peace of mind.

 
It is also important to notify your neighbours of an autistic child or adult. This way, when your loved one wanders away from home, a neighbour or friend can be called upon quickly. In addition to notifying neighbours, it is also wise to speak with local emergency officials.

 
If your local fire and police departments know about an autistic child within their neighbourhood, they will also know who to look for if your loved one wanders outside of a safe zone. While all of the aforementioned things may seem slightly excessive, they can all prevent an autistic person from a treacherous situation.

 
Presently, there aren’t any GPS tracking devices that have been specifically developed for autistic people, though there are a number of trackers on the market that can be used in this manner. Most of these devices are also cost-worthy, easily attained, and durable.

GPS tracking devices come in a number of forms including wrist watches, bracelets, small devices that can be clipped to clothing or backpacks, and even shoes. Constantly shadowing an autistic person may be difficult to do, though knowing that they are safe while you are away can provide some comfort.

By Greg Bartlett

Many people, who are somewhat less than mentally competent, live in our cities and have freedom to roam at will. Autism affects many children in this country who do not relate to the outside world in the same way that most people do. These individuals tend to live in their own world and only react to the real world on a very limited scale that involves doing things in the same way every day with little or no variation. If their routine is thrown off, these individuals can become completely lost within just a few blocks of their home.

Alzheimer’s is another disease that affects many elderly people. This disease causes the individual afflicted to live in the past. This results in the individual not knowing where they are even if they are in their own home. The further along Alzheimer’s progresses the more disoriented the individual becomes in their surroundings. Because of the nature of Alzheimer’s disease, the majority of Alzheimer’s patients are put into a nursing home or other facility where the staff is more equipped to handle them. Despite this Alzheimer’s patients still often get lost close to their residences.

For the parents, children, or unrelated caregivers of these mentally deficient individuals, there is now a technology that is proven to be helpful in locating lost individuals quickly and efficiently so that someone can recover them and get back to their home unharmed. GPS tracking can be used with a bracelet or similar jewelry item that is worn by the individual and sends out a signal that can be picked up and read by a computer with an internet connection so that the whereabouts of the person can be ascertained quickly when it is noticed that they are missing.

This particular use of GPS tracking systems has saved the lives of many Alzheimer’s patients who have wandered away from nursing homes and skill nursing facilities. These are often located in a semi rural area where the patient can become lost within a quarter mile of the facility and not be able to find his/her way back, even if he/she realizes he/she is lost. In the past, many patients have been searched for in a manhunt that lasted for several days before being found, dead from exposure, usually less than a mile from where they went missing from. The same technology can be applied to Autistic individuals and others with an altered mental capacity. For more information about GPS technology call Rocky Mountain Tracking, Inc. at 1-888-242-0500.

One county in Minnesota is looking into using GPS tracking technology to help some its residents with disabilities. Dakota County may follow lead of neighboring counties and municipalities across the country. This vulnerable population and their loved ones could benefit if county officials approve of the plan.

Jurisdictions can provide tracking bracelets to those who have had brain injuries, suffer with autism, Alzheimer’s or similar ailments. One sheriff started to consider this use of GPS vehicle tracking technology after he was approached by families who wanted increased protection for their loved ones. One family who approached him has gone through the anguish of having a son who has autism wander away more than once. The man seems to find his way toward water each time and his family is concerned about his safety.

When a person who is wearing a GPS tracking device designed for personal safety goes missing, a family member of caregiver needs to contact the authorities. Then they send out a team that has been specially trained in search-and-rescue missions.

People with disabilities who wander off tend to have limited communication skills. Even if they realize that they are lost, they are often not able to seek the help they need. Families and caregivers may not always be able to prevent someone from wandering off, but it is possible to take measures to protect those with special needs.

When it comes to personal tracking, Rock Mountain Tracking (RMT) provides the products and comprehensive customer support. A lot of GPS solution providers that are simply not structured to give helpful, customer-friendly to access tech support after you purchase a unit.  RMT offers customer and tech support that is second to none. Call RMT at (877) 477-9668 or visit http://www.rmtracking.com to learn more about how you can benefit from  personal tracking.

One family in North Dakota decided to look into purchasing a GPS tracking device after their autistic son wandered away from the family while he was outside one day. A child without autism can also easily wander away and become lost and disoriented. This is a very frightening situation. But, as you can understand, the parents in this case were doubly panicked because their son does not have the communication skills that other children have. These parents actually have two sons with autism. So after the incident where one son was separated from the family, they started trying to find ways to make sure that they could keep all of their children safe.

It took an hour and a half, but the family’s missing son was eventually found. However, if you have lost your child for even one minute, you know that you can age a million years with worry in a very short amount of time. Children are also traumatized after being lost and even if they don’t say a lot about it, they tend to cling to their parents more after being found. And a child with autism who has limited communication skills will be affected in ways that they cannot necessarily express.

Children do wander off, on purpose or by accident. A parent may not be able to prevent this, but you can take measures to protect your child. Whether or not your children have special needs, you may still want to consider getting a GPS tracking system to keep up with their whereabouts. It can save you and them a lot of heartache and worry.