I highly recommend anyone with a child who has complex medical issues or special needs purchase a basic medical ID. There are a lot of different kinds available. There are adjustable ones with velcro and watch bands. For the fashion forward there are adorable combinations of pink and blue bracelets. You can choose to engrave the details on a plate. Some have a pocket where there’s a little piece of paper you write on. Whatever method you choose, children with special needs and complex medical issues NEED a Medical ID.

Why? You might be incapacitated by the same thing that injured your child or your child might not be with you. Then…

1. Drug allergies will not be discovered until the drug is administered.
2. If your child has an implanted device, such as a shunt, no one will know to check right away if it’s been damaged.
3. They may offer your child who silently aspirates food or drink.

Many other things can also go wrong, but these are just a few of the major ones. Autism, being non-verbal, it all represents a unique challenge to first responders and may impact the quality of care your child receives if it goes unrecognized. The unfortunate reality is that people’s first instinct is to assume a child doesn’t have medical problems because they’re so young. The medics, nurses, and doctors all do their best. In the chaos of a true emergency like a fire, shooting, or a car accident a little help goes a long way.

I considered putting this post off until after the holiday season and then I realized, so many of us are traveling away from home. We’ll be in places where the doctors don’t have our child’s medical records. Your child’s Medical ID may be the only information a hospital has to treat them until they can reach someone who knows them. Without a Medical ID, even their name may remain a mystery (especially if they’re non-verbal). Getting a Medical ID is something you can do for your child which doesn’t take a lot of time but will significantly increase their chances if, god forbid, something unforeseen happens.