Elopement behaviors are among the highest priority behaviors and one of the most difficult challenges facing schools, parents and children with disabilities. The risks from elopement are obvious but too often schools are ill-prepared to address this issue. Children on the autism spectrum are more prone to not be able to verbalize where they need to go and coming upon a stranger may bring about further anxiety. It is important that steps are taken to prevent such runaways and also that emergency personnel are trained to handle encounters with these children. Here is a safety tool kit that can be very useful both in school and at home. Of course in this time of high tech devices there are also GPS devices to keep kids from eloping and to track to them if they do.
Prevention is the first step, this can look like many things: putting dead bolts up high on all doors leading to the outside, alerting neighbors and even local police in case the unfortunate does happen, going over “stranger danger” and alerting all working with the child of his/her propensity to run. There have been clients in the office whose homes have multiple locks on on every outside door and locks on all windows.
It may also be appropriate to have the child wear an identification bracelet, if they will. Prevention can eliminate some of the elopements, but the need to run, explore and be free is oftentimes a lot greater then the precautions taken. Plans should be in place through the child’s IEP when elopement is a significant behavior. These plans should have the following elements: (1) intervention and outlining how an adult should act (2) preventions, (3) behavior plan to curb the problem, and (4) skill acquisition to know why it is not ok to run, (5) good sensory plans/diets can lessen the level of anxiety so the flight response is not so intense. Sometime simple visuals and social stories can be a vital part of addressing elopement behaviors.
For children on the autism spectrum the tendency to run is very prevalent and kids with autism may encounter situations, where people do not realize that they have a disability and do not realize how to react accordingly. It is important for all police to be trained to deal with children with disabilities, but if possible, it is also good for them to advocate for themselves. Where possible they can identify themselves, as a person with a disability or even have a card printed with information for the officer on it. Kids with autism are 7 times more likely to have contact with emergency officials than other children and it is important that those officials have the tools to handle the situation swiftly and appropriately. Out reach to first responders in the community is very critical but often ignored or overlooked as being an important part of a school plan.