Bracelet identifying child as Deaf?

Beach girl said:
You guys have me thinking. Maybe a little charm or something that could be worn on a necklace chain, under a blouse or shirt, might not be a bad idea, with medical info on it. (I'm talking for adults, not kids.)

Years ago, I had surgery and when I was coming out of it, I heard the doctor say "I think she's waking up now. Can you squeeze my hand?" And then a nurse said "She's hard of hearing, she might not hear you."

Now in fact at that time my hearing loss wasn't that bad and I COULD hear them and I did squeeze somebody's hand to indicate I was coming out of the anesthesia, but if I were in the same situation today, I would not be able to hear that request. So if a situation might arise where I was semi-conscious and someone was trying to get me to respond, it could be useful to have that bit of information handy.

I dunno. Couldn't hurt, might possibly help.
Click to expand...

But if you told them you were Deaf in advance - they would not have to be any more confused on how to communicate. They will know to make sure you receive the message visually.

It actually makes life easier.
 
Phone number, yes, address, no.

"ASL only"--I don't know if that will have any meaning to most hearing people. Maybe "sign language" would be better.
 
You can just buy a bracelet with a tracker imbedded in it.
 
But if you told them you were Deaf in advance - they would not have to be any more confused on how to communicate.
Click to expand...

I mean if I were in a car accident or something and was temporarily knocked out, not a planned situation like surgery.
 
How many people would be obtuse enough to assume that an unconsious person would have the memory?

That's a grand example of literal thinking that they could not make the jump to the person being spoken to as they regained consiousness? :P
 
I'm not quite sure I understand your last sentence, Botts. You mean that rescuers should be able to figure out that a person was deaf or HoH as the individual came to and didn't respond to anything that was said?

Well, as I said, I don't know if some sort of medical info bracelet or necklace would be great or not, but I don't see how it could hurt.

My sister was in a car accident years ago. She was in the front passenger seat, the car hit another car head-on, and she went through the windshield, literally. Ended up on the hood of the car and rolled off. She was walking and talking, but was in shock. The police had to find her ID card with my mom's name and phone number as an emergency contact in order to call my mom, as my sister was pretty much out of it and wasn't making sense.

That's a different situation of course because the issue was not with her hearing, but it did impress upon me at the time the importance of always having emergency contact info with your wallet or someplace easily found. Seems like medical information would fall into that category, too.

Plus info that I have dogs at home - I always carry a card with that vital info, so my dogs could be rescued should I be seriously injured and hospitalized unexpectedly.

I'm turning this into a grim thread, aren't I? Maybe I'll just shut up now... ;-)
 
Why should it be any different for a Deaf child as a hearing child in this incidence?
No need to advertise that the child is Deaf. Every child should be taught their name and phone number of their parents and how to use a phone.

Before mobile/cell phones, when our children (all hearing) were under 5, because we travelled a lot internationally, I had ID bracelets made with both my husband's number and my number on it, together with their name, in the event that they got separated from us. But just the simple rule: If lost, stay where you are, don't move (we will come back to where we last saw you) and don't talk to strangers unless a person in uniform ie: police, airport staff etc. When older of course, there is a set meet-up place.

I have 7 children. I also use the 'buddy system'. Nowadays, all my children except the youngest have mobile/cell phones. My ten-year old knows how to sms/text me or phone her father and siblings. I gave her a phone of her own, because once it was just me and the little kids at home. She had a nightmare that something terrible would happen to me (like falling down the stairs) and she was terrified that she wouldn't know what to do. So, I taught her how to use the phone both voice and text, and how to contact her father etc, in an event of such an emergency. It relieved her concern and fears.

Parents should use common sense in keeping their watchful eye on their children. In busy airports, and crowded places I used a child harness on my toddlers, so they couldn't get separated from me. I used it responsibly.
 
Beach girl said:
I'm not quite sure I understand your last sentence, Botts. You mean that rescuers should be able to figure out that a person was deaf or HoH as the individual came to and didn't respond to anything that was said?

Well, as I said, I don't know if some sort of medical info bracelet or necklace would be great or not, but I don't see how it could hurt.

My sister was in a car accident years ago. She was in the front passenger seat, the car hit another car head-on, and she went through the windshield, literally. Ended up on the hood of the car and rolled off. She was walking and talking, but was in shock. The police had to find her ID card with my mom's name and phone number as an emergency contact in order to call my mom, as my sister was pretty much out of it and wasn't making sense.

That's a different situation of course because the issue was not with her hearing, but it did impress upon me at the time the importance of always having emergency contact info with your wallet or someplace easily found. Seems like medical information would fall into that category, too.

Plus info that I have dogs at home - I always carry a card with that vital info, so my dogs could be rescued should I be seriously injured and hospitalized unexpectedly.

I'm turning this into a grim thread, aren't I? Maybe I'll just shut up now... ;-)
Click to expand...

Let's not look too much into it. This is a child we're talking about.

If you feel that strongly about it, why not get it.

I, on the other hand, have my preparations for this kind of event.
 
For a very young child (pre-literate) who is deaf and does not use spoken language I think a medic-alert type bracelet might be a reasonable option..

I would state on the bracelet:
The child's FIRST name and Last initial (JOHN S.)
That they are deaf
They use "American Sign Language"
A contact phone number "please call (111) 111-1111)"


I would NOT:
use the abbreviation "ASL" (versus "sign language"/"American Sign Language") - because not all hearing people know what that abbreviation means)

I would NOT put a home address, or a great deal of identifying information on it (do NOT put a SIN/SNN number, house address, full first middle and last name etc)


I WOULD also suggest putting some identifying "detail" on the bracelet ... it might be a symbol (logo/animal etc) or a "code word" (it could be anything: fav team, colour, birth month, etc) , located somewhere "discrete but visible" on the bracelet that allows the caller to "prove" they have the child. (You can ask "on the bracelet there is a word/symbol/logo etc located "x" please tell me what it is, as a security precaution)

I do think that once a child is old enough to write (and read basic things like "are you lost" and know to head for a cop/uniformed worker etc) that the bracelet should be the child's choice.


If a child has a CI or other implanted hearing device or other medical device then I would recommend that the bracelet be worn always (just like a pacemaker one, shunt etc) ... espeically due to the steps that need to be taken if an MRI is needed etc (the make and model of the CI should be listed)

HTH
 
posts from hell said:
Also not to mention; a parent should be responsible on their child's whereabouts all the times. If the child was kidnapped I doubt the kidnapper will even spend the time trying to communicate with the child much.
Click to expand...

I agree that it is the parent's responsibility to keep tabs on their child, and I've never had it happen that I didn't know where my children were, but sometimes things happen that are beyond our control. And I'm not talking about kidnappers but a situation where my child is temporarily separated from us for whatever reason. Or say we're in a car accident and all taken to the hospital. There are any number of scenarios where it would be helpful for strangers to know that he's deaf and communicates in sign.

Although a downside pointed out by one of our friends is that if someone did want to kidnap him or do him harm, the bracelet would let them know that he can't easily alert other people that something is wrong.
 
whatdidyousay! said:
I think just saying the child is deaf is a enough. I would not want strangers knowing where my deaf child lived! There are too many crazy people around!
Click to expand...

I have to agree with this. I think the phone number would suffice.
 
I remember one of my old classmate who had a bracelet that displayed that this kid was deaf. That was in 1970's. I did make fun of him. :o If it were me, I would not comfortable to put a bracelet on deaf kid. But the phone number will do if this deaf kid doesnt know what number was. It depends on how deaf kid approaches people.
 
Frisky Feline said:
I remember one of my old classmate who had a bracelet that displayed that this kid was deaf. That was in 1970's. I did make fun of him. :o If it were me, I would not comfortable to put a bracelet on deaf kid. But the phone number will do if this deaf kid doesnt know what number was. It depends on how deaf kid approaches people.
Click to expand...

I'm assuming this is a pre-school aged child - or in K-grade 1 or 2

It's worth noting that if this child had a CI then medically they really should have a Medical Alert type bracelet they were all the time in case of some injury/emergency - because hospital staff need to know there is a medical implant present espeically if there is head wound/trauma that would require Xray, CT, MRI etc.
 
Anij said:
I'm assuming this is a pre-school aged child - or in K-grade 1 or 2
Click to expand...
Yes, he's in pre-school.

My wife had the idea of a bracelet that simply read "American Sign Language". That could be sufficient to let someone know that it's his primary form of communication without explicitly identifying him as Deaf.
 
When younger, my daughter wore a medic alert bracelet when we traveled that indicated she was deaf-ASL ( small wrist, so couldn't get more descriptive than that ). I wasn't worried about flagging her as deaf inappropriately because she was never apart from us, but was worried about being separated in a car accident.

When she got her 2nd CI, we updated the bracelet to read NO MRI-CI and ASL below that. She's very upfront about either indicating when she can't hear and asking people to sign please at this age. So, I don't think she actually wore that one. Now, I'd like to place a GPS on her :) -- kidnapping scares the daylights out of me, especially when we're traveling.

I've spoken to several doctors about the MRI concern: will technicians know to watch for the CI if there's an accident. and they've explained that 1. They wouldn't be able to perform an MRI without parental permission and 2. In an accident they check for head injury, and especially with 2 CIs, you can feel them when you run your hands over her head and there are scars. I still worry about it, because I've had to explain to several doctors what a CI was--they just aren't all that well known, even in the medical community, and I don't know what's involved in training for MRI techs.
 
whatdidyousay! said:
I been thinking of getting one, I hope I will never be in another horrible accident again! My car was hit really hard by a teenager driver , he only had a license 2 weeks!
Click to expand...

:( Very sorry (and scary) ! You OK now?
 
Back
Top