The word “elopement” isn’t just used to describe an impulse wedding. “Elopement” can be used to describe a situation in which an individual with special needs or memory difficulties wanders away from the safety of their caregivers. The situation can easily turn dangerous and scary.

What you need to know

Caregivers of individuals with special needs can take many measures to ensure the safety of their loved ones in the situation of elopement. You can remember it by the Three P’s: be Proactive, Prevent, Prepare.

Be proactive

• Are they prone to wandering, or are they exit-seeking?
  • Determining if the individual is more prone to wanting to leave environments, rather than just aimlessly wandering out of them can be a good way to asses what proactive and preventative measures could be taken.
• Go on walks with your loved one
  • If you have a loved one who is more prone to wandering than exit-seeking behaviors, it might be a good idea to just take walks with them. That way, they can get some of their energy out in a safe way.
• Instill personal responsibility
  • Helping your loved one who is in danger of elopement with daily living tasks, like making the bed, cooking, and cleaning up, helping with pets, and the likes can be a way of instilling purpose from routine.
• Teach them to swim
  • Elopement can be especially scary when a body of water is involved. According to the National Autism Association, “Drowning is among the leading causes of death of individuals with autism,” and the instances in which an individual drowns are due to elopement. Teaching an individual with special needs to swim before there is a possibility of elopement is a great preventative measure.
  • To find swimming lessons in your area, visit NationalAutism.org, click Autism & Safety, choose “Swimming Instructions.” The final lesson should be with clothes on.
• Invest in tracking devices
  • Visit ProjectLifesaver.org, LoJackSafetyNet.com, or eSpecialNeeds.com
• Learn and practice de-escalation techniques
  • For individuals with special needs, autism, or memory difficulties, an escalation in their behavior due to various factors may lead to elopement. De-escalation techniques could be any of the following
    • Practice deep breathing
    • Do a little yoga
    • Sing a song
    • Offer a reward incentive
    • Take a walk with the supervision of a caregiver
    • Grab a snack
    • Go to a quiet room
    • Use deep pressure vest or weighted items to help with calming
    • Count to 100

Take preventative measures

• Secure the home against elopement
  • Make sure that there are proper locks on the doors that the individual who is prone to elopement can’t unlatch or reach
• Secure the vehicle against elopement
  • Use an EZ-On Vest or a BuckleRoo to ensure that the vehicle is safe
• Secure the school, day program, or clinic against elopement
  • Ensure that exits are secure with locks that the individual who is prone to elopement can’t unlatch or reach.
  • If you haven’t done so previously, ask “What are the school’s policies on wandering prevention?”
  • Write a letter requesting that you always be informed, in writing, of any wandering incident on or off the campus.
  • If your child/adult is an active wanderer and poses safety risks, consider addressing wandering issues in his/her IEP or personal care plan.
  • Take note of all architectural barriers (fences, etc.) around the school, daycare or summer camp, or lack thereof. Make the facility aware of any lack of barriers and ask for barriers to be put in place.
• Talk to the individual about wandering dangers
  • If the child/adult has functional language, use this to teach them about the dangers of wandering into traffic and water especially, as well as encounters with strangers. Use various methods to teach them how to respond if they find themselves alone or lost outside, in a non‐home setting (school, classroom, hotel, etc) or any setting.
  • Use the types of language/lingo they like and would respond to. Use favorite characters, topics, props and visual prompts in your explanation if necessary.
  • If your child/adult has limited language, use social stories to teach your child/adult about the dangers of wandering into traffic and water especially, as well as encounters with strangers

Prepare for all scenarios

• Equip your loved one with wearable identification and contact information
  • If your loved one does wander away from safety, it can help a lot to have a bracelet that lets individuals and emergency officials who the individual is, where they belong, as well as their diagnoses.
• Inform trusted neighbors of the possibility of elopement
  • Sometimes your best defense is a good offense. Trusted neighbors can be a good offense.
  • Give your neighbor a simple handout with your name, address, and phone number.
  • Ask them to call you immediately if they see your child outside the home.
  • Does your child have a fear of cars or animals or is he/she drawn to them?
  • Does your child gravitate towards pools or nearby ponds or creeks?
  • Does he/she respond to their name, have sensory issues, or meltdown triggers?
  • Approach neighbors you trust. Beforehand, check your neighborhood for nearby sex offenders by visiting familywatchdog.us
• Inform the local fire department and police department of the possibility of elopement
  • Provide the name of child or adult, current photograph, and physical description including any scars or other identifying marks or behaviors.
  • Identify your child’s favorite song, toy, or character
  • Provide names, home, cell and pager phone numbers and addresses of parents, other caregivers, and emergency contact persons
  • Provide sensory, medical, or dietary issues and requirements
  • List favorite attractions and locations where the person may be found
  • Provide likes, dislikes, fears, triggers, and de-escalation techniques
  • Provide your child’s preferred method of communication (note if nonverbal, uses sign language, picture boards, or written words).
  • List if they wear an ID, jewelry, tags on clothes
  • Provide a map and address a guide to nearby properties with water sources and dangerous locations highlighted – instruct to search those areas first
• Be on high alert for holidays (Labor Day, Fourth of July, Christmas, etc.)

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