Before I had children, I hated the look and idea of them. When my son started to walk, and RUN, I broke down and started using it. By then I had an infant, and my son was almost 5. I would not have been able to safely leave my house without it. He didn't object to it, and it made our lives significantly easier.

Yes, you may get odd looks. But you have to develop a thick skin, you are living with autism, you will get lots of odd looks.

I had my daughter in a harness till she 4. Living in NewYork I was surprised at all the stares. I really didnt care as long as she was safe

We used to use one with Little Man when he was little and I LOVED it. Never got any flak from others about it. But I don't tend to care much about what strangers have to say anyway. ;)

Good... Very good. I'm not sure how old your son is but if he is a runner than you should definitely have one. My son is a runner and if he ever runs into the street and has an accident or gets lost in a large crowd I would never forgive myself. I have 2 that I got at the zoo. One is an elephant and the other a giraffe. It's also a backpack. At first I filled it up with all his favorite things and let him carry it or use it around the house. Then I would walk with him around the neighborhood and then the zoo. He soon learned that he couldn't keep running away from me. One of your therapists can help you with that too. He now holds on to my hand but if I'm at a crowded place he will be wearing it. Every child wanders away, you are not alone in this.
Trust me it's better than running around after your child screaming.
Who cares if people give you weird looks? I have never met a parent with a perfect child. Better keep safe.
Best of luck to you and let me know how it goes.

I had to use one for my son from ages 2-3 because he would run off as well. I didn't care what people thought. My sons safety is and always will be my number one priority.

Here's a link to the one we used...which he loved by the way. :)

http://www.amazon.com/Jeep-90107R-3-In-1-Backpa...(Phone number can only be seen by the question and answer creators)&sr=8-1&keywords=black+backpack+harness+for+kids