Elopement/Wandering and Water Safety

Perhaps you’ve been in this frightening situation: your child runs away from you in a public place or your own home. If you’re not already familiar, this behavior is called elopement, which is defined as running or wandering away from caregivers or secure locations. 

Nearly half of autistic children engage in elopement behavior, and many people with autism are also drawn to water. The behavior can cause injury, either by running into traffic or drowning in even familiar water if the child doesn’t know how to swim. What makes it even more difficult is that the child often doesn’t respond when a parent or caregiver is calling for them.

In July 2024, xMinds joined with fifteen other autism organizations to form the Maryland Autism Coalition. The group launched a statewide public service campaign to educate families with autistic loved ones about the dangers of elopement or wandering and additionally, water safety (see flyer below).

Feel free to download, print and/or share the flyer for your own information. Most importantly, the Maryland Autism Coalition urges parents and caregivers to call 911 immediately. Do not wait.

According to the CDC, the primary reasons for wandering include:

• Enjoyment of running or exploring

• To get to a place the child enjoys

• To get out of a stressful situation 

• To go see something interesting

According to an article in Disability Scoop, which originally ran on MassLive.com, autistic children are drawn to water because they crave the pressure on their bodies that water creates. The deeper you go, the more pressure.

A 2017 study by Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health found that autistic children are 160 times more likely to die from drowning than the general population. Given these scary statistics, what can families do to protect their loved ones?

If your child wanders away, what should you do? First, the Maryland Autism Coalition urges parents and caregivers to call 911 immediately. Do not wait.