Reporting on
Senate passage of
Kevin and Avonte's Law, Samantha Finch offers writes at
Parent Herald about wandering:
A 2015 study found that 27 percent of children with developmental disabilities such as autism wander away from safe locations annually. That same year, 31 people with autism died after wandering to unsafe environments, 1011 Now reported.
Another study published in 2012 by the American Academy of Pediatrics found that 24 percent of autistic children were in danger of drowning after going missing and 65 percent were vulnerable to traffic injuries and accidents. According to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, autistic children wander away when they get overly stimulated by sights, sounds, or other people's activities.
When this happens, the desire to escape propels autistic children to wander away to small or enclosed spaces. Another reason why they wander is because they are interested in a specific location such as bodies of water.
