Elopement and Wandering: Are you Prepared? – by Gina

As a parent of a child with autism, wandering and elopement cause me the most worry and stress of all my son’s behaviors. What I mean is; some children can simply walk or run away without thinking. They can just disappear out of the blue and often put themselves in danger. My son’s propensity to wander is at the forefront of my mind when going anywhere in public. But it’s also a concern at home, even during sleep hours because he can and has got up during the night.

I’m sure many of you can relate and agree that wandering is a common challenge for many people who have autism and other developmental disabilities. If your child is at risk of elopement from school or home, there are some safeguards you can put into place to prevent the risk of this very scary, and life threatening behavior.

Having a child at risk for elopement, you first need to make sure this behavior is documented and the safeguards for prevention are part of your child’s Individual Education Program (IEP). Meet with the IEP team and request a written plan or set of procedures to address behaviors that put your child at risk. Developing and incorporating a safety plan into your child’s IEP is essential.

In addition, you can request a copy of the school’s written Emergency Plan protocol. Because of the elopement concern that includes a child “bolting” not only during a routine school day, but also during emergencies such as a fire, lockdown, or other natural disaster, the safety plan you and the IEP team formulate should be part of the school’s overall Emergency Plan. It may be necessary to have a Functional Behavior Assessment and an Intervention Plan to address behaviors that lead to elopement. Whatever you decide to do, make sure your request is in writing!

When my son was born, back in the early 90’s, portable electronic devices were basically limited to calculator watches and large desktop computers. But today, modern technology can be much more helpful in the prevention of wandering and elopement. Over the last 5+ years we have seen the technological advancement of personal tracking devices that use GPS (Global Positioning Systems). There are a variety of choices out there that provide an array of options. These personal devices can alert you if your child wanders from a perimeter you’ve set, give you the location of your child, and some even allow you to speak with your child.

Here at RFENC we have reviewed and personally tested many different devices that are available on the market today and we’ve put that information online at your fingertips. In addition, we have also developed a training on elopement and wandering that covers the inherent dangers, the reasons it occurs, the impact on the family, and evidenced strategies for prevention.