Wandering and Water Safety

In 2020, our team experienced the tragedy of losing a beloved client in a late night wandering accident after moving into a new community. Since then, our team has dedicated themselves to outreach and education of the dangers related to wandering and water safety by offering free safety consultations for any family.

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What is wandering?

Wandering – also referred to as elopement, bolting, fleeing, or running – is the tendency for an individual to leave the safety of a responsible person’s care or safe area, which may result in potential harm or injury. This may include running from adults at school or in the community, leaving the classroom without permission, and leaving the house when the family is not looking. This behavior is considered common and short-lived in toddlers, but may persist or re-emerge in children and adults with an ASD. Because individuals with an ASD are often attracted to water, yet have little to no sense of danger, drowning fatalities following wandering incidents remain a leading cause of death. Other causes include traffic-related, train-related incidents and hyper/hypothermia.

Facts and Figures

  • 56% of parents of children with autism say wandering is their child’s most stressful behavior.
  • 49% of children with autism engage in wandering behaviors.
  • 42% of autism related wandering cases involving children 9 and younger have ended in death.
  • Accidental drowning accounts for approximately 90% of lethal outcomes.
  • Children with autism are 160 times more likely to drown.
  • Common times for wandering may include: holidays, vacations, camping, transition periods, gatherings, recent moves to new homes and schools, visiting unfamiliar places, and public outings.

(Excerpts from: AWAARE, National Autism Awareness, and Big Red Safety Box)

Online Resources

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We have been a family blessed with the help of the team at The Helm. Our son was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder when he was 2.5 and The Helm was one of the places recommended by our developmental psychologist. I am a physician and still found it hard navigating this new medical problem and knowing what to do next. I called many places and from step one Lee Ann was the most helpful explaining the process with paperwork, assessment, available services, insurance, etc. we were able to start therapy quite soon after diagnosis and had sessions at home daily for 3 hours. The quality of staff, the system they have in place for the therapists, the coordination by the BCBA supervising therapist and early response put us at ease that we were on the right path. Ultimately the steady positive changes we saw with our son overcame any fears we had about autism holding our son back for the rest of his life.

We used many forms of intervention that we felt were individually tailored for our family – for potty training, anger management, dietary intervention and even let them know when we could not maintain something suggested in family training, and they would just take our request and implement another plan. Our son has now graduated/transitioned out of therapy and is currently in pre-K in a regular classroom with him on par with his class in academics, has friends and no behavior issues. Most important of all we have a happy son who loves to play with his big sister.

I know that I will always read all there is on autism and watch my son for any features. But I hope my review adds to positive aspects that I wish someone would have told me when I started the journey – start early, don’t put off your suspicions, get your child evaluated now! The label does not hinder,  in fact it falls to the side once you have the diagnosis to facilitate therapy. ABA intervention, especially done with the right people, makes a big difference. It does not pressure or upset the child at all, and you are not stuck in therapy for life! I know if any behavioral issues come up in the future I have The Helm, and they will help us and the outcome is going to be positive. Said with heartfelt thanks.

– Former Helm ABA Family

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