As many as 50 percent of individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities (IDD), such as autism spectrum disorder (autism), and 60 percent of individuals with dementia, such as Alzheimer’s Disease, will wander at some point in their lives.1
Wandering is a common behavior where individuals with IDD or dementia will leave a known environment with little to no consideration for safety or security. When that happens, law enforcement is often responsible for the search and rescue efforts.
In 2018, the U.S. Congress enacted Kevin and Avonte’s Law, which supports programs by law enforcement and other organizations to prevent and reduce the injury and death of individuals who wander.2 The Autism Society of America, in partnership with the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) and The Arc’s National Center on Criminal Justice and Disability, is leading the Home Safe project, a national training and technical effort to prevent water- and wandering-related deaths through proactive programming, public awareness, and public policy. Home Safe, which is funded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, launched a series of resources that can work together or independently to support law enforcement’s efforts to safely reduce injury and death of individuals who wander while protecting their autonomy.
Resources Related to Individuals with IDD
Finding and safely recovering a missing child who is on the autism spectrum can present unique challenges for law enforcement and caregivers. Education is paramount to help responders identify behavioral characteristics, warning signs, response methods, and wandering awareness. Home Safe partnered with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children to develop Understanding Children on the Autism Spectrum: A Guide for First Responders. This guide provides law enforcement officers with an overview to improve their understanding of the characteristics and behaviors of children on the autism spectrum, strategies for building awareness through community partnerships, and tips on using technological solutions to locate children who have gone missing. The guide can be used to enhance general education. Still, it is essential to tailor this training to individual communities, especially when considering areas of attraction or potentially hazardous locations such as mountainous or densely wooded areas.
Locative technology, or technology that can be used to determine the location of an item or a person through devices, is a key part of Kevin and Avonte’s Law. However, the decision to use locative technology should not be taken lightly and should be made only after careful consideration of the balance of individual safety and individual autonomy. The selection of the type and brand of the device should be carefully considered by police departments, families, caregivers, and the individuals wearing the technology when developmentally appropriate. Considering Locative Technology in the Disability Community: Balancing Autonomy and Safety is a resource developed to guide decision-making processes for families and to support law enforcement’s understanding of the decision being made. Locative technology should never be considered or depended upon as the sole solution for wandering.
A well-rounded approach including both technological and nontechnological methods is essential, especially in recognizing that locative technology cannot always prevent wandering. Home Safe’s Children on the Autism Spectrum: Search Protocols & Questionnaire for First Responders provides law enforcement with key information and guidance on searching for children with autism who have gone missing to supplement personnel’s training and existing knowledge in search and rescue. This resource also provides a fillable form to guide responding officers in information gathering from caregivers on the scene.
For law enforcement, a wandering incident starts at the point of notification. However, it is important to remember that, for families and caregivers, a wandering incident may have started much earlier. Telecommunicators can use a predetermined set of questions to support the gathering of essential information, including the person’s diagnosis, when the individual was last seen, locative technology information, information on direction and means of travel, and any other relevant information. Gathering this information at the point of notification can allow telecommunicators to relay this information to first responders. Home Safe’s Children on the Autism Spectrum: 911 Telecommunicator & Dispatcher Checklist provides a list of essential questions telecommunicators should ask callers who are reporting a missing child. These questions can be further adapted for reports of a missing adult with IDD or dementia.
Resources Related to Individuals with Dementia
Individuals with dementia who wander are likely to be encountered by law enforcement through different means than most individuals with IDD. By 2050, 88 million U.S. residents will be 65 or older, and approximately 80 percent of this population will likely be driving. As a result, law enforcement may encounter drivers who, while initially coherent, are subsequently recognized as being confused and disoriented. The “Senior Drivers: Did You Know?” postcard is a handy way to remind officers of a general overview of the signs of unsafe driving and provide them with steps that can be taken when interacting with a senior driver who is exhibiting unsafe driving.
The “10 Warning Signs a Driver May Have Alzheimer’s Disease or Dementia” pocket card is another tool for law enforcement. It provides 10 basic warning signs that a driver may have Alzheimer’s disease or dementia and 10 steps to ensure positive interactions. The “Did You Know?” postcard follows a similar design by providing quick reference points on the Dos and Don’ts of effectively interacting with an individual with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia.
The “Identifying and Evaluating the At-Risk Older Adult” evaluation card and the Identifying and Helping a Driver with Alzheimer’s Disease or Dementia brochure contain assessment questions to help law enforcement identify and evaluate an at-risk adult’s orientation and memory and include information about what to do when interacting with such an individual. These resources are designed to be small enough to be kept in patrol cars and used in the field.
While not replacements for in-depth training, these resources can be incredibly useful for law enforcement. All these resources and more are available on the Home Safe webpage.
Notes:
1Connie Anderson et al. “Occurrence and Family Impact of Elopement in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders,” Pediatrics 130, no. 5 (November 2012): 870–877, “Wandering and Getting Lost: Who’s at Risk and How to be Prepared,” Alzheimer’s Association, January 2023.
2Kevin and Avonte’s Law, S.2070, 115th Congress (2017).
3“2022 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures,” Alzheimer’s & Dementia 18, no. 4 (April 2022) 700–789.
