Mom wants autistic daughter to wear GPS tracker

Top Quote A California mom wants approval for her autistic daughter to wear a GPS tracking device to school. She says it will prevent her child from wandering, but the school district is fighting that request. End Quote
  • Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC (1888PressRelease) May 04, 2016 - The girl's mother, Darcy Cotton, said she does not sleep much."We are always exhausted and constantly living in a state of fear," she said.

    For the past few years, the mother has been sleeping on the couch, losing sleep, worrying that her 6-year-old autistic daughter, Jaden, will wander.

    The mother says they have to take precautions 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
    A study published by the American Academy of Paediatrics shows that roughly half of all autistic children will wander at least once.

    After searching for anything to prevent the wandering, Cotton finally came across the Letstrak GPS Tracker."To me this is a life-changing device and at one point I believe it will save her life...," she said.

    The tracking device is attached to her on a belt and cannot be removed without a key.
    Cotton says she wants Jaden to wear the device to her school, Shirley Lane Elementary, but the school district will not allow her to wear it.

    Michael Coleman, the superintendent at Fairfax School District, says there are still many questions about the device and the concern that it could be a privacy issue for both students and staff.

    He also says it is currently not a medical necessity or under her individualized education program.

    "So it really goes into the general population as a parent want," he said, "and as close as we can get into it right now, it would be like allowing students to come with smart devices that are on and used during the day and our policy does not allow that."

    The superintendent says he plans to meet with Cotton on Friday to discuss the device. He said he wants to work with Cotton to find a solution and to make sure Jaden has a safe environment where she can learn.

    More info: https://www.letstrak.com/device.html

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