LIBERTY, Mo. — Drowning is among the leading causes of death for individuals with autism, according to the National Autism Association.
But Meg Anderson does everything she can to make sure her 2-year-old is safe.
Eden was diagnosed with autism when she was 18 months old.
With a focus on extra attention and supervision, Anderson is aware "elopement is just something that happens with autism."
Roughly half of children with autism attempt to elope (run away) from a safe environment, according to a study published in "Pediatrics," the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
"We find that our kids don't have fear," Anderson said.
Janee Johnson, a University of Missouri-Kansas City special education professor, explained.
"Part of it is a lack of situational awareness or a lack of other leisure skills," she said.
Johnson knows firsthand the challenges of understanding children with autism.
"Things happen even with the best security," Johnson said.
For many children with autism, eloping can lead to drowning.
"As soon as they see a body of water, you have that tactile and audio piece of it, along with the sensation of just being in the water, how it calms them and how it makes them feel safe," Anderson said. "That is why you see autistic kids gravitate toward water."
Children with autism are 160 times as likely to die from drowning as the general pediatric population, according to the National Autism Association.
On Friday night, the body of a missing 4-year-old boy was found by first responders in a pond in rural Belton.
Johnson and Anderson said there are strategies to avoid this, which include adding layers of security, such as safety locks and alarms, along with using tracking devices.
However, it’s not that simple.
"The issue with that is that a lot of these solutions cost money and are not accessible to all families," Anderson said.
Other strategies include enrolling children with autism in swimming classes and alerting law enforcement.
"This way, they are informed about wandering and know who the child is and what they look like," Johnson said.
If children with autism elope, Johnson emphasized the importance of checking pools and ponds in the surrounding area.
"You can have every single safety measure in place, and this can still happen," Anderson said.
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KSHB 41 reporter Fe Silva covers education stories involving K-12. Share your story idea with Fe.
