Safe Steps Forward:
Encouraging Independence
in a Secure Setting

The Challenge

Kaedyn was diagnosed with severe autism when he was 2 years old. He was non-verbal and engaged in several maladaptive behaviors, such as self-injury, aggression, elopement and stereotypy that inhibited his ability to learn from others.

One day, Kaedyn was put on the wrong bus coming from school. He could not explain to the driver or to potential assistive adults who he was, who his mother was, or where he lived. His mother panicked, and it took over an hour to locate him. 

It was the scariest moment of my entire life. My baby was out there somewhere and no one would be able to know who he was or where he belonged. No one would be able to help him understand what was going on

– Melissa, Kaedyn’s mom

Kaedyn is a fun, creative and witty 11-year-old boy with autism spectrum disorder. He is remarkably self-sufficient for his age, though this was not always the case.

11

9 years

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Challenge 1: Safety in School and Transportation

Once Kaedyn was safely located, his mother’s first reaction was to take him out of school, homeschool him and drive him to all of his therapies herself. There was no guarantee that the same mistake wouldn’t happen again, regardless of how careful she was. 

 

Challenge 2: Anxiety in Building Independence 

Kaedyn’s mother also worried about negligence and mistreatment. No more than a week after the transportation incident, she was informed that a paraprofessional held him in a restraint. With him being nonverbal, she had no idea what happened in his day once he left her sight.

 

Kaedyn’s situation seemed disheartening. With so many safety concerns, his mother didn’t see a way to allow him to continue attending a public school. She didn’t feel that she could trust the transportation system, and she didn’t feel that she could trust that a paraprofessional would keep him safe. It seemed that the only way she could ensure that he was being taken care of was to remove him from school.

 

Melissa, Kaedyn's mom

I felt scared for him but also defeated. Going to school is just a basic human right - a milestone for all children. He already was missing out on so many experiences that typically developing children get and now I felt like the school experience was off limits too

Melissa, Kaedyn's mom

The Solution

Kaedyn’s mom found AngelSense and thanks to its unique features, designed specifically for individuals with special needs, she felt as though she could be with him through his day, even if she was not physically present.

Ai Alerts

Keep track of Kaedyn’s whereabouts proactively by notifications that pop up as soon as Kaedyn arrives or departs his given location. This happens even if the app is not open on the phone. 

 

1-Way Communication

Being able to call Kaedyn’s AngelSense device to hear what is going on around him, and checking on him without disrupting his day, provides his mom with peace of mind while he is out of sight.

 

Assistive Speakerphone

Call his device with an automatic pickup, to speak to Kaedyn and surrounding adults to help guide him back to where he needs to be. 

 

Wearability

Due to the level of Kaedyn’s support needed, it was critical to find a way for him to wear the device and not be able to remove it himself. This became possible by the several options available for wearing the device, with consideration to his sensory sensitivities. 

Ai Alerts

Ai Alerts

Real time location, proactive arrival and departure alerts

1-Way Communication

1-Way Communication

Checking in on him anytime

Assistive Speakerphone

Assistive Speakerphone

Communication with support staff

Wearability

Wearability

Sensory-friendly wearing options

First Responders

First Responders

Get a team to help

“I specifically liked using the AngelSense belt. It was really convenient while he was potty training and I didn’t have to worry about the device being lost if he had to change his clothes during the school day” 

 

First Responders

In the event of an emergency, the First Responders feature allowes sharing Kaedyn’s location with trusted family members, friends, and service providers that could assist in locating him, without spending critical minutes trying to call or text people who may be able to help. 

 

Melissa, Kaedyn's mom

You can’t strengthen something you don’t use. Without letting him do things like taking the bus, being in school, he would have never gotten to the level of independence that he has today

Melissa, Kaedyn's mom

Measurable Results

  • Public School: 8 years (and counting) in a public school among peers
  • Special education support reduced: Kaedyn now learns in a typical classroom with no support besides speech therapy
  • Independence skills: sets his own alarm for school, dresses himself, prepares his own breakfast, and waits at the bus stop by himself

Conclusion

Kaedyn began his journey by needing the maximum amount of support possible, and now requires little assistance in taking care of himself. He excels in school, has friends and completes his daily self-care tasks without help. He even has his own YouTube channel where he edits and posts videos about his areas of interest.

His mother thanks AngelSense for giving her the peace of mind in Kaedyn’s safety so he could experience opportunities to strengthen his independence and self-confidence. 

This is as close as you can possibly get to being with your child every moment of every day. Thankfully, because of AngelSense, he was able to be in the care of others, make transitions on his own, and slowly build his independence

Melissa, Kaedyn's mom

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