Elopement Behavior in Kids with Autism

Written By Kirsten McKay

Elopement behavior is a major safety issue that every autism parent, teacher, and therapist needs to be aware of. In this blog post, we’ll take a look at what elopement behavior is, what causes it, how to prevent it, and what to do if your child or student with autism elopes. 

What does elopement mean in autism?

In autism, elopement means to run off, bolt, or escape. Many kids with autism will leave a room, building, or playground without permission and without warning. One minute they’re right there in front of you, and then, in the blink of an eye, they’re out of reach or even out of sight.

Elopement behavior examples

Examples of common elopement behavior in kids with autism include: 

  • Climbing out of the bedroom window during the night when everyone else in the house is asleep. 

  • Running out of the front or back door of the house while a parent is in the bathroom.

  • Suddenly running out onto the road while walking along the street with parents. 

  • Escaping from the back garden while parents are distracted by siblings.  

  • Bolting from parents in a busy store or mall 

  • Leaving the classroom while the teacher is busy

  • Running away from the teacher in the hallway.  

  • Escaping from the school playground.  

  • Leaving school, without permission, to return home. 

  • Trying to exit a vehicle during a journey. 

How many individuals with autism display elopement behavior?

Around half of all individuals with autism under the age of 18 are thought to display elopement behavior. This figure is based on a major study published in the journal American Academy of Pediatrics back in 2012, in which 49 percent of families surveyed said that their child with autism had tried to elope on at least one occasion. 

The survey also found that:

  • of the kids who had tried to elope, more than half (53 percent) “went missing long enough to cause concern”. 

  • Kids with autism are four times more likely to elope between the age of four and seven than their siblings who don’t have autism. 

  • 74 percent of kids who eloped did so from either their own home or someone else’s house. 40 percent eloped from stores and 29 percent eloped from a classroom or school building.  

  • Kids with severe autism, lower intellectual abilities, and communication difficulties are more at risk of eloping than kids who are less severely affected by autism.  

Why does my autistic child run away?

One reason why a child with autism might run away is if something has triggered their fight-or-flight response —the body’s automatic reaction to perceived danger— causing them to feel as though fighting or running away is the only way to survive. 

Although we all have this important survival instinct, many kids with autism have a heightened sense of danger, meaning that they don’t have to be in a life-threatening situation for it to kick in. The instinct to run away could, for example, be triggered if a child saw a bee and thought it might sting them. 

Another potential reason why your child with autism runs away could simply be that they want to explore but have little to no sense of danger. They might be curious about the world around them, but not realize that it isn’t safe for them to go off on their own. 

Alternatively, a child with autism might run away for sensory reasons. A sensory-avoiding child might, for example, run away from a busy or noisy place, while a sensory-seeking child might leave home to find a sensation they enjoy, such as bouncing on a trampoline in a nearby garden. 

Causes of elopement

As we have seen, the fight-or-flight response, a desire to explore, and an urge to either seek or avoid certain sensory inputs are three common causes of elopement in kids with autism. Other causes include:

  • The child being distracted by something that interests them or something that they want to touch or smell. 

  • A desire to go to a favorite place 

  • Communication difficulties (if the child is unable to ask an adult for permission to go somewhere else, so they just go ahead and leave).

  • Impulsive behavior (the child acts without stopping to think first).

  • Lack of awareness or understanding of dangers such as roads

  • The child not realizing that others worry about them when they run away. 

How to stop an autistic child from eloping

To help stop a child with autism from eloping: 

  • Hide door keys

  • Use special locks

  • Install alarms on doors and window

  • Install window restrictors (so that windows can only be opened by an inch or so)

  • Buy harnesses or walking reins for your child to wear when out and about in the community 

  • Get a car harness

  • Make sure your child is constantly supervised

  • Be super vigilant 

  • Teach your child safety rules (depending on their level of language and understanding)

  • Get the child to wear bright clothes so that they can easily be spotted. (This is a controversial idea because some parents and teachers think that a kid with autism shouldn’t be singled out.) 

  • Ask other kids (siblings or class peers) to help look out for child.  

You may also want to consider buying your child a wearable GPS tracking device to connect to your cellphone so that you will be able to see where they are if they ever elope and go missing. 

Behavior intervention strategies for elopement

  • Practice ‘stop drills’ so that your child learns to stop running when a parent or carer shouts “stop”.

  • Work on communication skills so that your child has a way to ask to leave somewhere that is too busy or noisy for them, or to tell a trusted adult when they are overloaded

  • Teach clear, straightforward rules about leaving the house or classroom

  • Teach road safety lessons to make your child aware of the dangers of the road and how to stay safe, not just in theory but in a practical setting.  

What to do when your child elopes

It’s important to have a plan ready beforehand so that you and any other adults who may be responsible for your child or student know what to do when the child elopes. 

If your child elopes and can still be seen:

  • Either chase after them or follow at a distance, depending on the situation and the function of behavior. (For example, if the child is running away simply to get a reaction, then it might be best to follow quietly at a distance as if you’re not that bothered. If, however, the child is in immediate danger, then you’ll want to get to them as quickly as possible.)

  • Use the “stop” command if this has been taught. 

  • Try not to shout too much or give too many instructions. (Excessive shouting and instructions might cause the child to panic and run faster or further.)

  • Alert neighbors and/or school staff who may be able to help.

If the child has eloped and cannot be seen :

  • Call the police 

  • Think where they might go 

  • Ask siblings or classmates where they think the child might go. 

  • Alert family, friends, neighbors and school staff who may be able to look out for the child  

Kirsten McKay
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