Bed Tents for Autistic Kids & Mini Houdinis, Part 3

I am editing this post on 3/6/2017.

Despite whatever content this post contains, I am finding that this post is first in search results because of the desperate search by parents of elopers for solutions for their autistic kids.

While the only thing that worked for Dovi was the Pedicraft bed, the Privacy Pop Bed Tent works for a lot of children who are not extra severe and aggressive.

Here is the amazon link:




And now back to the regular content of this post.

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Soooo eventually, it happened. Dovi managed to rip off a zipper from his 'indestructible' Pedicraft bed. We managed a temporary solution (moving the bed to the wall, putting in a bigger mattress) until the company we purchased it from can come and service it.

Meantime, last I checked this blog, it was getting almost exclusively search hits for bed tents for autistic kids. People are panicking all over; there are no easy solutions, especially since the company selling the Ready Set Bloom tents is temporarily not selling them because the latest shipment was faulty.

Between my recovery from the new baby and the multiple 3-day holidays we just went through, Dovi spent a lot of time at different respite providers the past 2 months. At one of the weekends he managed to break a pop up tent and rip up a Ready Set Bloom Tent. The kid is truly Mini Houdini.

We'll be seeing Dr Cartwright this week to revisit his medication. Risperdal just isnt cutting it. I dont know if we should add Intuniv or a stimulant. Guess we'll leave it up to the doctor.

He is doing very very well at School C - I couldnt be happier than he ended up there. The paras are full of warmth and love, the curriculum is great, and I'm part of a parent body of 11 other mothers in my neighborhood. Had he gone to School A, I would be weathering all sorts of snafus like transportation issues and administrative frustration on my own.

Our new Home Health Aide is a lifesaver. She is available whenever I need her and works extra hours whenever necessary. She loves Dovi and is so devoted to him. I thank G-d every day that things are finally calming down after 2 really difficult months.

The new baby, whom I'm calling Levi on this blog, is a source of joy and comfort, bli ayin hora.

Life is up and down constantly, a true roller coaster; easier days and harder days. My therapist is really helping me get through the tough times, and G-d always ends up being there for me even when I dont see it. I have so much to write. So many little stories to tell. One day.

But for now, let me help those of you who ended up here searching for a solution for your own mini Houdini. I will share with you the different tents his respite providers have:

One of the respite places he goes to every month use a Coleman 2 person tent into which they put a regular mattress on the floor. They probably secure the zippers with  twist ties or something. If you have room on the floor, this is a good idea.

If you dont have room on the floor, this is an excellent tent to use on a bunkbed. It can be secured underneath the top bunk, and the sides of the tent can be pushed into the sides fo the bed. His other respite provider uses a fold-up mattress inside the tent, because a regular mattress doesnt fit into it well. Dovi has managed to BREAK this tent, so this isnt for very active/aggressive autistic kids, only for kids who escape their bed.

 

In general, any camping tent that fits 2 people, on the floor, will work until you can get a permanent solution.

There are a number of freestanding beds that can be covered through your medicaid dealer, or can work with you on payment plans. I have the Pedicraft bed, and my good friend Kate from www.kateleong.com has the Courtney bed. I have no first or second hand knowledge of the other beds, so I suggest you do your own research before making a decision, but at least hear are some starting points.

http://www.pedicraft.com/canopybed_homecarecbs.html
http://www.cyrdesigns.com/
http://kayserbettenus.com/index.html
http://sleepsafebed.com/
http://noahsworldllc.com/
http://www.thesafetysleeper.com/aboutus.html

I wish you all a lot of luck figuring out how to keep your precious Houdinis safe at night. Please feel free to share with me any other tents you have tried which worked. Good luck all!