Nearly Half of Kids With Autism Will Run Away At Least Once

A study by the American Academy of Pediatrics found that almost half of all children with autism will run away at least once before they reach age 17.  What is even scarier about this statistic is that more children with autism who run away will die in comparison to other runaways.

Some of the characteristics of autism can make finding these children more difficult.  Children with autism "who shirk when their names are called out, who run away at the sound of police sirens, who are afraid of the dogs sent to find them, and who naturally are comforted by burrowing and hiding -- makes a hard job even harder, investigators say." Therefore it is important that people searching for children with autism understand these characteristics and adapt their search tactics accordingly.

The story also points out that according to National Autism Association sixty percent of parents are not aware of this risk.

For more on this story and the source of the above quote, please see:

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/half-autistic-kids-run-tragedy/story?id=19084591#.UYYIR7V96So

©Mary M Conneely T/A Advocacy in Action