Elopement

Prevention and Action

Elopement can be scary and often isn’t discussed with families at the time of diagnosis. According to the CDC, elopement, also known as wandering, is when someone leaves a safe area or responsible caregiver. Elopement is a large safety concern within our community because it greatly impacts individuals with disabilities. Autistic individuals are prone to wandering. You’ll often hear that the first place to look for an autistic person who wanders is near a body of water because some individuals may be drawn to water due its calming nature.

Prepare! These are great goals to work on with therapy teams.

  • If you suspect your loved one has a risk of elopement, prepare by teaching safety skills and ensuring that your child knows not to leave their home.

  • Teach your child what to do if they get lost.

  • Do they know how to communicate their name, address and/or phone number?

  • Can they correctly identify you versus calling you “mom” or “dad” when asked what their parents’ names are?

  • Create a safety plan. It’s difficult during stressful moments to remember things. Keep a file with a recent photo of your child, their description and be sure to include their favorite places, how they interact with first responders and any behaviors or stims that may occur regularly or during stressful moments. Also write down what helps calm them down such as music, favorite topic or a fidget.

  • If your loved one uses a communication device, make sure all of this information is programmed into it!

  • Prevent elopement further by using door locks, security alarms, cameras, tracking devices and identification devices like a bracelet, shoe tag or QR code.

  • If you are going into the community, consider having your child wear bright clothing that they can easily be spotted in. Be sure to take a picture of them before your outing begins so that you’ll have a recent photo.

  • Have age appropriate conversations about safety, include:

    • What to do in the event of an emergency

    • Who to rely on for help and how to ask for help

    • Discuss stranger danger in realistic terms and be sure to include a discussion about boundaries, online safety and inappropriate contact.

What can you do to prevent elopement?

Call 911 immediately - Don’t wait!

  • If your loved one goes missing, even if you think they just might be hiding, call 911 right away. The 911 operator would much rather have you say your child was hiding under the bed rather than loose valuable time searching for your child in the community.

If your loved one is missing…

Click on the links below for more information:

Resources

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Prevention