Autism Safety: Preventing Elopement and Emergency Preparedness

Prevention Strategies

A layered approach — combining environmental modifications, behavioral training, and tracking technology — is most effective.

Environmental modifications:

• Door alarms — simple, inexpensive, and highly effective. A loud alarm when a door opens wakes parents at night and alerts caregivers in the day. These are the most universally recommended first step.
• Door knob covers and chain locks— high-mounted chain locks (above the child's reach) for doors and gates
• Window locks — autistic children sometimes exit through windows
• Fenced yard with secure, latched gates — if outdoor access is a priority, secure perimeter fencing is important
• Pool fencing — a mandatory four-sided fence with a self-closing, self-latching gate for any household with a pool or water feature

Behavioral strategies:

• Direct safety training — explicitly teaching "stop" and "come" responses, staying with a safe adult, and what to do if lost. These skills may need to be practiced extensively with generalization to different settings.
• Addressing the underlying motivation — providing appropriate access to preferred items/environments, and reducing sensory triggers that cause escape-motivated elopement
• Teaching name and address — where cognitive ability allows, teaching the child to communicate their name and address or caregiver phone number

Working With First Responders

If your child goes missing, your preparation now will directly affect how fast and effectively first responders can help. Steps to take in advance:

• Register with your local police service's vulnerable persons registry or Project Lifesaver program
• Keep a recent photo of your child on your phone (update every 3-6 months)
• Prepare an information sheet about your child — name, photo, communication level, sensory sensitivities, preferred items/places, what approaches work and don't work for calming. Give copies to neighbors, school, and local police.
• Know which water sources are nearest your home — check these first if your child has an attraction to water

Frequently Asked Questions