WASHINGTON, D.C. — Federal health, justice and emergency management agencies are developing a nationwide framework to accelerate alerts and searches for missing autistic children and adults, using existing emergency notification systems to reduce deaths and injuries associated with wandering.
The initiative brings together the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Justice and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate responses among law enforcement, emergency managers, first responders and local communities.
Rather than establish a separate national alert system, the agencies will promote more consistent use of existing Missing and Endangered Person alerts through FEMA’s Integrated Public Alert and Warning System.
State, tribal, territorial and local authorities will retain responsibility for deciding whether to activate alerts under their existing procedures.
Federal officials plan to develop national guidance, standardized alert language, training resources and response protocols tailored to the needs of autistic individuals who wander or become separated from caregivers.
FEMA will examine updates to emergency messaging templates to identify nearby water hazards, dangerous traffic areas and steps members of the public can take to assist search efforts.
The Justice Department is expected to support law enforcement training focused on autism-related wandering, communication differences, rapid alert activation, searches of nearby water, safe recovery and coordination among responding agencies.
The agencies also intend to improve data collection and encourage jurisdictions to incorporate autism-specific procedures into their emergency response systems.
Approximately half of autistic children engage in wandering behavior, according to research cited by federal officials. The National Autism Safety Council reports that an average of eight autistic children die each month after wandering or elopement, most often from drowning.
Drowning accounts for most autism-related wandering fatalities, and many missing individuals are found near their last known location, according to the federal fact sheet.
“We are bringing federal, state, and local partners together to improve prevention, speed the response, and help bring autistic children and adults home safely,” HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. stated.
The alert initiative accompanies additional federal actions addressing autism-related health care, Medicaid oversight and clinical training.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released an Applied Behavior Analysis toolkit for state Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program officials. The guidance addresses treatment quality, appropriate use of evidence-based services and measures to prevent fraud, waste and abuse.
The Health Resources and Services Administration will expand clinical training focused on co-occurring medical conditions and diagnostic overshadowing, a situation in which other health problems may be overlooked because a patient has autism.
The agency also plans to work with federally supported health centers to improve access to care for autistic individuals.
At an April 28 meeting, the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee endorsed recommendations covering additional screening for co-occurring conditions, federal guidance on wandering and new working groups addressing communication, medical research and lifelong support.
The committee also advanced a proposal to establish a “Profound Autism” designation intended to improve research and service planning for individuals with the highest support needs.
Autism affects approximately one in 31 U.S. children, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Families and caregivers should call 911 immediately if an autistic person goes missing, identify the individual as high risk and provide information about communication needs, behavioral patterns and possible attraction to water.
Federal officials also recommend considering GPS or other tracking devices for individuals at risk of wandering, while emphasizing that those tools should supplement supervision and emergency response rather than replace them.
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