How Do We Teach Our Atypical Kids What to Do if They Get Lost?

When a fellow parent asked about wandering, I had flashbacks of my neurodivergent kid running off when he was little.

“How do I talk to my child about what to do if they were separated from their grownup?”

When I was asked this question, I started to pant a little. My stomach tightened up, and I felt lightheaded. I was having flashbacks of my autistic kid eloping.

Photo by Simon Bromander on Unsplash

It’s Really 2 Topics: Eloping and Getting Lost

But for me, they’re intrinsically linked.

As a toddler, my son Ocean had no concept of safety. Once he started walking, he practically flew. Half the time he flew right onto his face, so I needed to be nearby for comfort and cleanup. The other half, he was hard to keep up with, especially in crowded places, or when I was juggling all the bags, equipment, etc. that accompany an outing with a toddler.

“Autistic children who wander are at high risk of getting lost or hurt.”

-’Autism and Wandering’ by Beth Arky, Child Mind Institute

His enjoyment was all-consuming!

Some call it wandering, but that implies strolling. Ocean loved speed so much that he would run away from…