Autism, Wandering and Water Safety: Information for Emergency Responders

Drowning is the leading cause of death for children with ASD, often following wandering (also called elopement or bolting). As an emergency responder, you can make a difference by understanding the risks, engaging caregivers, and connecting families to support. This page contains key talking points and helpful resources.

Fast Facts

• Wandering—also known as elopement or bolting—is more common in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
• Nearly half (49%) of fatal wandering incidents begin at home.
• Many children with ASD are drawn to water, which may contribute to the fact that drownings account for 71% of fatal wandering.
• Drowning is the leading cause of death among children with ASD.
• Emergency preparedness and emergency response play critical roles in preventing drowning and other negative outcomes that result from wandering.

Quick Tips

• Some caregivers have access to radio tracking devices to help with emergency response. Check to see if your precinct has the tools for tracking radio signal devices. If it doesn’t, consider collaborating with a neighboring jurisdictions or Sherriff’s Department that does have the technology. Knowing who has this technology in advance saves critical time during a response.
• Encourage caregivers to maintain information about their child, such as affinities, needs, triggers, risks near the home and tracking device information in an easily accessible file that they can hand over in case of emergency.
• Encourage caregivers to register their phone number and special needs using the 911 disability indicator form.
• Knowing that drowning poses the greatest fatality risk to children with ASD, first responders should prioritize searching nearby bodies of water and station responders at them during a response. Tools like google maps can help quickly identify bodies of water during a response.
• Consider attending or hosting training focused specifically on responses involving children with ASD. Groups like the Autism Law Enforcement Coalition (ALEC) and the BMC Autism Program, offer voluntary in-service trainings for interested emergency response departments. 

Additional Resources

• National Autism Association’s First Responder Toolkit – free, downloadable resource for first responders for preventing and responding to wandering events
• National Center for Missing and Exploited Children's Guide for First Responders – free guide for responding to wandering events
• The International Association of Chiefs of Police Search Protocols and Questionnaire for First Responders – guidance and template questionnaire for responding to a missing child w/ ASD
• BMC Autism Program
• 911 disability indicator form