How to Prevent Wandering

Vee Cecil has a passion for wellness. She channels that passion into her work as a wellness coach, personal trainer, and bootcamp instructor. She also shares her knowledge and findings on her recently-launched blog. She lives in Kentucky with her family.Drowning is a top cause of death for children with autism. Parents and caregivers understand exactly why the number of children with autism who drown
is so tragically high. They recognize that it is directly connected to a characteristic that is common among people with autism—the need to wander.

In fact, the Autism Wandering Awareness Alerts Response and Education (AWAARE) Collaboration notes that 50 percent of children with autism wander.
And because many children with autism are also fascinated by water, their elopement from home can quickly become very dangerous.
With summer getting into full swing, many people are opening up their pools, which can be especially dangerous for children with autism. One of the
best things parents can do to help keep their child safe is to teach them to swim.

This guide on the benefits of aquatic therapy for kids with autism provides great advice on how parents of children with autism can find a swim lesson program
that will meet their child’s needs.

In addition to swimming there are many other wandering prevention measures that parents and caregivers can take. Here is a selection:

Place extra locks on doors. Securing exits is one of the best ways parents can protect children with autism from wandering. AutismSpeaks.org provides advice
on a few options. For example, it suggests using deadbolts that require a key on the outside and inside, connecting doors to alarm systems that will alert you
when the door is opened, installing hook and eye locks that are high enough your child can’t reach them, and more.

Get the neighbors on board. Parents of children with autism can take every possible step to keep them from wandering, but many kids will still find a way out
of the home. And because it’s nearly impossible to make your home 100 percent secure, you should absolutely enlist the help of others to keep your child safe. As
PsychologyToday.com advises, let neighbors and family members know about your child’s autism and their wandering. Be sure neighbors with pools know that
your child might be drawn to the water and ask them to always keep their pool fences and gates secured.

Use signs. Sometimes a helpful reminder can be all it takes to keep a child from wandering. To that effect, WebMD.com recommends posting “Stop” or “Do Not
Enter” signs on or near doors to deter your child from wandering.Track your child. If your child is an especially frequent or adept wanderer, you
might want to consider having them wear a tracking device. SpecialNeeds.com notes that a device can be an “invaluable tool” when a child goes missing, and

FriendshipCircle.org provides a list of tracking devices, along with their features and pricing. While a parent can never fully prevent their child from wandering, taking these steps will help you decrease those opportunities and will make it easier for you to find your child when they develop.