Why Autistic Children Are More Likely To Run Off Or ‘Elope’

You probably saw the heartbreaking news this week that the body of a child was recovered from a pond in Suffolk, not far from where a three-year-old boy went missing after running away from a playground.

Noah Woods, described in news reports as partially deaf, non-verbal and awaiting an autism assessment, was last seen at a playground in the village of Brantham on Tuesday.

He ran away from a relative as they left the playground, heading down an alleyway towards a new-build housing estate, before ultimately becoming lost.

After a huge search effort on Wednesday – which saw over one thousand people travel from as far as Birmingham to try and track down the young boy – police revealed the heartbreaking news that a child’s body had been found in a nearby pond.

As of Wednesday evening, the body had not been formally identified, but Noah’s family had been told, with the discovery being treated as “not suspicious but unexplained”.

On Thursday, Noah’s father Rhys Woods confirmed the worst. “Noah was the sweetest and most innocent little boy, with nothing but love to give, and we are going to miss him so very much,” Rhys Woods wrote in a post on Facebook, according to the BBC.

“This was the most heartbreaking outcome for us, we were just hoping that he would be hiding somewhere obvious where someone could find him, that’s what we kept telling ourselves the whole time.”

There’s been an outpouring of support for the family on social media – including from parents of autistic children, who have spoken of knowing only too well that feeling of absolute terror when a child runs off.

One parent wrote: “It’s absolutely devastating. My son often ran away at that age – he was non-verbal back then and very fast but we got lucky each time that someone found him. I just can’t fathom what the family must be going through right now.”

Another said: “We experienced numerous episode of our son eloping. We are loving and very careful parents to our now 21 year old autistic son. Yet we kept on experiencing eloping episodes when he was much younger. He was around three when he did his first one.”

Among autistic children, absconding (also known as wandering or elopement) is very common. One study found nearly half of autistic children had engaged in elopement behaviour. One quarter (26%) of those children were missing long enough to cause their parents concern.

Of those who went missing, 24% were in danger of drowning and 65% were in danger of traffic injury. The risk for elopement increased with autism severity.

Drowning is also sadly a huge risk for autistic children. According to the National Autism Association, children with autism are 160 times more likely to die from accidental drowning.

In response to the latest news, Emma Ahern, a speech and language therapist specialising in autism and ADHD, shared on Instagram: “Elopement can happen in seconds, silently, in a blink, even under loving, careful, attentive supervision. This is not about a family who did something wrong. It is about how fast a child can be gone, and how much further we still have to go to keep autistic children who are at risk of elopement safe.”

“Wandering or ‘elopement’, as it is sometimes called, is a recognised behaviour in autism, but it is important not to think of it simply as a child running away or being deliberately disobedient,” Dr Claudia Aymerich, consultant psychiatrist at Berkeley Psychiatrists, told HuffPost UK.

“Different reasons can cause an autistic child to leave a safe environment, and understanding those reasons is an important part of reducing the risk.”

Children might run off for a number of reasons. Ahern, who is founder of Zeebra Therapy, explained: “It can be a way of coping when something feels overwhelming, meeting a sensory need, moving towards something they want to reach, or pursuing a particular interest.

“They might be trying to get to a favourite place, following an interest in cars towards a road, seeking out something that has caught their attention, or moving towards water.”

Water can also be “particularly compelling” for autistic children, noted Dr Aymerich. There are a few reasons why this might be: it can be captivating from a sensory perspective (water is both calming, mesmerising and children might be interested in its visual, auditory and sensory qualities); children might not consider water dangerous; or they might want to reach something in it – a duck, stick or some other object, for example.

Sadly, according to Hope Autism Clinic, drowning accounts for roughly 71% of fatal elopement incidents among autistic children.

“For parents and carers, the aim should not be to live in fear of a child leaving but to put sensible safeguards in place where there is a known risk,” said Dr Aymerich.

Ahern suggested a few safety strategies for families, including:

• securing locks and doors at home, and using window alarms;
• taking children for adapted swimming and water-survival lessons;
• putting an AirTag or tracker inside their coat, shoe or backpack;
• and telling trusted neighbours, relatives and schools/childcare providers that they’re prone to eloping.

If a child repeatedly leaves a particular environment, Dr Aymerich said it’s worth asking what the behaviour may be communicating.

“If they are consistently leaving when an environment becomes noisy or overwhelming, for example, the longer-term solution may involve reducing that trigger and giving the child a predictable, safe way to communicate that they need a break or want to leave.

“The goal should be both to reduce immediate danger and to understand the underlying need, rather than viewing the behaviour as simply something that needs to be stopped.”

There have also been calls to make public spaces safer. Responding to the tragedy, podcaster Jessie Townz, who advocates for autism support and education, called for “stricter safety precautions” in public spaces that are near open water.

She said: “The loss for his parents and family is devastating. We can do more in public spaces to protect all children where open water is present.”

Ahern suggested play areas should be designed and built away from unfenced water, while fencing and self-closing gates need to be situated around any open areas of water near to homes, playgrounds and schools.

She also suggested ‘search the water first’ should be the standard response when an autistic child goes missing.

If an autistic child does go missing, it is important to act immediately rather than assuming they will return, said Dr Aymerich.

“The risks will depend on the individual child and their surroundings, but water and traffic are particularly important hazards to consider. Drowning is a leading cause of death following wandering in autistic people, so nearby ponds, pools, rivers, canals and other bodies of water should be considered as part of an immediate search, alongside roads and other potentially dangerous areas.”

She added that caregivers should also tell emergency services that the missing child is autistic and provide as much information as possible about their communication, behaviour, likely destinations, interests and any particular risks around water or traffic.

“These details can help those searching understand where the child may be and what dangers need to be prioritised.”

The psychiatrist added that “for families who have experienced this, it is important to remember that an incident of elopement is not evidence of poor parenting”.

“It is a recognised safety concern that some autistic families have to manage, and putting practical safeguards and an individualised plan in place can help reduce the risks.

“Families should not have to wait for a frightening incident to happen before they are given information about this potential risk.”