# Keeping your autistic child safe: wandering, water and roads > Wandering, or running off, means a child leaving a safe place or the adult looking after them. It is common in autistic children, and water and roads are the main dangers. Plan ahead: secure doors and windows, supervise closely near water, teach water safety, carry ID and a one-page profile, and tell neighbours and school. If your child goes missing, call 999 straight away. - Canonical page: https://rocksmakepebbles.co.uk/guides/keeping-your-child-safe - Publisher: Rocks Make Pebbles (https://rocksmakepebbles.co.uk) - Topic: Everyday life - Applies to: UK - Last updated: 28 September 2026. Checked against sources: 28 September 2026 - Professional review: Not yet reviewed (waiting for review by a safeguarding lead or paediatrician) - Drafted with the help of AI tools and checked against the sources listed below. Editorial policy: https://rocksmakepebbles.co.uk/editorial-policy ## Key points - A US parent survey found that 49% of 1,218 autistic children had tried to leave a safe place after age 4. - Drowning is a particular worry: in a US review of 23 drownings of autistic children, about three in four followed wandering. - Start with door and window locks, a door alarm, fences, water safety, ID and a one-page profile. - A GPS tracker may help you find your child, but it cannot stop them leaving. - If your child is missing, call 999 straight away. You do not have to wait 24 hours. ## How common is it for autistic children to run off? It is very common. Wandering, also called running off, bolting or elopement, means a child leaving a safe place or the adult looking after them without anyone knowing. In a US survey of parents of 1,218 autistic children, 49% said their child had tried to leave a safe place at least once after the age of 4, and 26% had been missing long enough to cause concern ([Anderson et al. 2012](https://europepmc.org/article/MED/23045563)). Of the children who went missing, 24% were in danger of drowning and 65% were in danger of being hurt in traffic. Their brothers and sisters left less often at every age. In a second US survey, parents said 38% of autistic children with a [learning disability](https://rocksmakepebbles.co.uk/glossary#learning-disability) and 33% of those without one had wandered or got lost in the past year, a difference that was not statistically significant ([Rice et al. 2016](https://europepmc.org/article/MED/27157446)). We found no UK figures. If your child runs off, you are not alone, and it does not mean you are doing anything wrong. ## Why do autistic children run off? There is usually a reason, even when it is not obvious. Some children head towards something they love or want to explore, such as water, trains, a playground or a favourite shop. Others are getting away from something that feels like too much, such as noise, crowds or a sudden change. The National Autistic Society lists "running away or hiding" among the signs of [sensory overload](https://rocksmakepebbles.co.uk/glossary#sensory-overload) ([NAS](https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/topics/sensory-differences/sensory-differences/all-audiences)). Some children do not yet understand dangers such as traffic or deep water. Some may not notice sounds, including someone calling their name ([NAS](https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/about-autism/sensory-processing)), which can make searching harder. > **Try this:** For two weeks, jot down each time your child leaves or tries to: where you were, what happened just before, and where they headed. Patterns can show you which doors to secure, which places draw your child and which situations to plan around. ## How dangerous is water for autistic children? Drowning is one of the two main dangers. The research is limited and mostly from the US, but it suggests autistic children are at higher risk than other children. - A study of US death records from 1999 to 2014 covered 1,367 deaths of autistic people of all ages. Drowning made up a far bigger share of their deaths than of deaths in the general population: the proportionate mortality ratio for drowning was 39.89 ([Guan and Li 2017](https://europepmc.org/article/MED/28323463)). - A review of 23 US news reports of autistic children aged 3 to 14 who drowned found that 73.9% of the drownings followed wandering. Most were in ponds, rivers or lakes, on average about 291 metres from home ([Guan and Li 2017](https://europepmc.org/article/MED/29218603)). - An Australian study of drownings from 2002 to 2018 found autistic children and teenagers were about three times as likely to drown, but the numbers were small and the result was not statistically significant ([Peden and Willcox-Pidgeon 2020](https://europepmc.org/article/MED/32169851)). > **Evidence check:** A proportionate mortality ratio compares the share of deaths from one cause in two groups. It does not tell you how likely any one child is to drown. The "160 times more likely" figure often seen online comes from Columbia University's press release about the death records study ([Columbia University](https://www.publichealth.columbia.edu/news/individuals-autism-substantially-heightened-risk-injury-death)), not from the published summary of the paper. ## How do I make a safety plan? A safety plan means thinking ahead: where your child might go, what could stop them, and what you will do if they get out. Start with one or two steps this week and build up. 1. **Make your home harder to leave.** Fit locks your child cannot open on outside doors, add window locks or restrictors, and keep keys out of reach. A door alarm or chime tells you when a door opens. The Challenging Behaviour Foundation (CBF) says "lockable windows increase safety for children and adults who have no sense of danger", and lists options such as magnetic door locks ([CBF](https://www.challengingbehaviour.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/017-Specialist-equipment-and-safety-adaptations-2024.pdf)). Make sure every adult can still get out quickly in a fire. 2. **Put barriers between your child and water or roads.** Fences, locked gates and fenced or covered ponds all help. Drowning researchers recommend supervision and barriers ([Peden and Willcox-Pidgeon 2020](https://europepmc.org/article/MED/32169851)). 3. **Get advice and help with costs.** An [occupational therapist](https://rocksmakepebbles.co.uk/glossary#occupational-therapist) can assess what your home needs. The CBF says equipment under £1,000 can usually be funded by the council or the local NHS, and advises weighing up the benefits and risks of any product before you buy. In England, a [Disabled Facilities Grant](https://rocksmakepebbles.co.uk/glossary#disabled-facilities-grant) of up to £30,000 can pay for adaptations for autistic people, and parents' income is not counted for a disabled child under 18. Do not start work before the council approves it, or you may get nothing ([GOV.UK](https://www.gov.uk/disabled-facilities-grants)). 4. **Teach water safety.** Family Action advises being "hands-on whenever children are in the water", using a life jacket or arm bands near water if needed, and teaching your child never to go near a pool, lake or the sea without an adult ([Family Action](https://family-action.org.uk/self-help/water-safety-for-children-with-autism/)). It suggests starting with visits to the poolside and a [picture story](https://rocksmakepebbles.co.uk/glossary#social-narrative) about pool rules. The Royal Life Saving Society UK has water safety resources for children with SEND ([RLSS UK](https://www.rlss.org.uk/listing/category/send-resources)). 5. **Look into swimming lessons.** Family Action notes that there are classes for autistic children and children with sensory differences ([Family Action](https://family-action.org.uk/self-help/water-safety-for-children-with-autism/)). The lead researcher of the US death records study recommended swimming lessons as a top priority soon after diagnosis, calling swimming "an imperative survival skill" ([Columbia University](https://www.publichealth.columbia.edu/news/individuals-autism-substantially-heightened-risk-injury-death)). We found no trial showing that lessons prevent drowning in autistic children, so they add to supervision and barriers. They do not replace them. 6. **Carry identification.** Put your phone number on a card in your child's pocket, a clothing label or an ID bracelet, and keep a recent photo of your child on your phone. The National Autistic Society has free "My child is autistic" cards to download ([NAS](https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/resources/downloads/i-am-autistic)). Most UK police areas run an alert card scheme, and some also run similar schemes such as Pegasus, which uses a card with a PIN and a database shared with 999 services ([National Police Autism Association](https://www.npaa.org.uk/alert-card-schemes/)). 7. **Fill in a one-page profile.** A [one-page profile](https://rocksmakepebbles.co.uk/glossary#one-page-profile) sums up your child on a single sheet. Use our [printable one-page profile](https://rocksmakepebbles.co.uk/printables/one-page-profile) to record a recent photo, how your child communicates, whether they respond to their name, what frightens and calms them, places they are drawn to, and your phone numbers. Keep copies with you and give them to anyone who looks after your child. 8. **Tell the people around you.** Let close neighbours know that your child may leave, what they look like and what to do: stay calmly with your child, call you, and call 999 if your child is in danger. Ask nursery or school how they keep doors and gates secure and what they would do if your child left, and ask for this to go in your child's support plan. This table brings the main risks together. | Risk | What can help | Who can help | |---|---|---| | Leaving the house or garden | Door and window locks, a door alarm, a secure fence and gate | Occupational therapist; council (Disabled Facilities Grant) | | Water: ponds, rivers, pools, the sea | Close supervision, barriers, water safety and swimming lessons, a life jacket near open water | Local pool; RLSS UK resources | | Roads and car parks | Holding hands, practising "stop", child locks in the car | Council (Blue Badge, if your child qualifies) | | Getting lost when out | ID card or bracelet, a recent photo on your phone | NAS cards; police alert card scheme | | Not answering when called | An alert card and one-page profile that explain how your child communicates | Police alert card scheme | ## Should we use a GPS tracker? A GPS tracker, usually a watch or a small tag on clothing or a bag, shows on your phone where your child is. It may help you find your child faster, but it cannot stop them reaching a road or water. We found no research showing that trackers keep autistic children safer, and drowning researchers have called for personal alarms to be properly tested ([Peden and Willcox-Pidgeon 2020](https://europepmc.org/article/MED/32169851)). Batteries run flat, signal can drop, and some children pull off anything that feels uncomfortable to wear. Security and privacy matter too. In 2017, Which? reported tests of three children's smartwatches sold in the UK, which found attackers could "easily take control of the watches and use them to track a child's location" ([Which?](https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/kids-smartwatches-vulnerable-to-hackers-a8gfl1e5VrT2)). Since 29 April 2024, UK law has required connectable products such as smartwatches to have a unique or user-set password, a published way to report security problems and a stated minimum period for security updates ([GOV.UK](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-uk-product-security-and-telecommunications-infrastructure-product-security-regime)). If you choose a tracker: - check how long the maker says it will get security updates - change any default password - find out where the location data is stored and who can see it - tell your child, in words or pictures they understand, that it shows you where they are. The ICO's Children's Code expects children to get age-appropriate information when a parent can monitor them ([ICO](https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/uk-gdpr-guidance-and-resources/childrens-information/childrens-code-guidance-and-resources/age-appropriate-design-a-code-of-practice-for-online-services/code-standards/)) > **Myth:** "A GPS tracker means my child is safe." A tracker tells you where your child is after they have gone. Locks, supervision and a plan still come first. ## How can I keep my child safe near roads? Roads are the other main danger. In the US survey, 65% of the children who went missing were in danger of being hurt in traffic ([Anderson et al. 2012](https://europepmc.org/article/MED/23045563)). We found no research or UK guidance on road safety for autistic children, so these tips come from everyday practice rather than studies: - Hold hands, or use a wrist link or reins, until your child reliably stops at the kerb. - Pick one word or sign for "stop". Practise it as a game in a park or quiet street, and praise every stop. - Show the road routine in pictures: stop, hold hands, look, cross. - Use the child locks in your car, and get your child in and out on the pavement side. - In car parks, keep your child's hand in yours or on the car while you load and unload. In England, if your child is constantly a significant risk to themselves or others near vehicles, in traffic or car parks, they may qualify for a [Blue Badge](https://rocksmakepebbles.co.uk/glossary#blue-badge), so you can park closer to where you are going. Councils decide, and it may take 12 weeks or longer ([GOV.UK](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/blue-badge-can-i-get-one/can-i-get-a-blue-badge)). ## What should I do if my child goes missing? Call 999 at once. Do not wait to see if your child comes back. > **Get help now:** If your child is missing, call 999 straight away. The Metropolitan Police says to call 999 now if a missing person is a young child or vulnerable to harm. You do not have to wait 24 hours, and it is not wasting police time ([Metropolitan Police](https://www.met.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/missing-person/missing-persons/what-to-do-when-someone-goes-missing/)). 1. Call 999. Tell the call handler that your child is autistic, how they communicate, whether they respond to their name, and whether they are drawn to water, roads or particular places. 2. If another adult is with you, one of you searches while the other stays on the phone. Check the house, loft, garden, shed and garage, and remember the Met's warning that "children can fit into small spaces". 3. Check nearby water and roads early. In the US news review, most of the drownings followed wandering, and on average they happened about 291 metres from home ([Guan and Li 2017](https://europepmc.org/article/MED/29218603)). 4. Give the police a recent photo, a description of your child's clothes, and your one-page profile or alert card details ([National Police Autism Association](https://www.npaa.org.uk/alert-card-schemes/)). 5. When your child is found, keep things calm and quiet, because they may be frightened or overwhelmed. Later, look at what happened and update your plan. ## Where can I get more help? These are good places to start: - **Your GP or health visitor** can refer your child to occupational therapy. The NHS suggests asking your GP or local autism team about it ([NHS](https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/autism/supporting-a-child/)). - **Your council** handles Disabled Facilities Grants and Blue Badges, and its [Local Offer](https://rocksmakepebbles.co.uk/glossary#local-offer) lists local support for disabled children. - **Disability Living Allowance (DLA)** can help if your child needs much more supervision than other children of the same age. The middle care rate covers continual supervision during the day ([GOV.UK](https://www.gov.uk/disability-living-allowance-children/eligibility)). See our [guide to DLA](https://rocksmakepebbles.co.uk/guides/dla-for-autistic-children). - **The [Challenging Behaviour Foundation](https://rocksmakepebbles.co.uk/where-to-get-help#challenging-behaviour-foundation)** publishes a detailed guide to safety equipment. It names charities, including [Family Fund](https://rocksmakepebbles.co.uk/where-to-get-help#family-fund) and [Cerebra](https://rocksmakepebbles.co.uk/where-to-get-help#cerebra), that may help with some costs. - **[Contact](https://rocksmakepebbles.co.uk/where-to-get-help#contact)** advises families with disabled children anywhere in the UK, and the **[National Autistic Society](https://rocksmakepebbles.co.uk/where-to-get-help#nas)** has information and local support. - **Your local police** can tell you whether they run an autism alert card scheme. For more on grants and benefits, see [money and practical help](https://rocksmakepebbles.co.uk/guides/money-and-practical-help). > **Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland:** Disabled Facilities Grants go up to £36,000 in Wales and £25,000 in Northern Ireland, and are not available in Scotland ([GOV.UK](https://www.gov.uk/disabled-facilities-grants)). In Scotland, families claim Child Disability Payment instead of DLA ([mygov.scot](https://www.mygov.scot/child-disability-payment)). The Blue Badge guidance quoted here is for England; the other nations have their own. 999 is the emergency number everywhere in the UK. ## Questions parents ask ### Do I have to wait 24 hours before reporting my child missing? No. The Metropolitan Police says you do not have to wait 24 hours to report someone missing, and that reporting is not wasting police time. If the missing person is a young child or vulnerable to harm, it says to call 999 now. Tell the call handler that your child is autistic, how they communicate and where they might head, especially water or roads. ### My autistic child bolts the second the door opens. What can I do? Start with the doors your child uses most: a lock your child cannot open, keys kept out of reach, and a door alarm or chime so you hear the door open. Make sure every adult can still get out quickly in a fire. Ask your GP or health visitor about an occupational therapy assessment, and ask your council about a Disabled Facilities Grant for bigger changes. Noting when your child leaves and where they head helps you plan. ### Is it worth paying for swimming lessons when my child hates water? It can be, as one part of a safety plan. The lead researcher of a large US study of deaths in autistic people called swimming 'an imperative survival skill'. Some pools run classes for autistic children or children with sensory differences, and you can start gently with visits to the poolside and a picture story about pool rules. We found no trial showing that lessons prevent drowning in autistic children, so they add to close supervision and barriers around water. They do not replace them. ### Are GPS trackers safe for autistic children? A tracker may help you find your child faster, but it cannot stop them leaving, and we found no research showing that trackers keep autistic children safer. Security matters too. In 2017, Which? reported that some children's smartwatches sold in the UK could be taken over by attackers. Since 29 April 2024, UK law has required connectable products to have a unique or user-set password and a stated minimum period of security updates. Change any default password and check who can see the location. ### Can we get help paying for window locks or a secure garden? Possibly. In England, a Disabled Facilities Grant of up to £30,000 can pay for adaptations for autistic people, and parents' income is not counted for a disabled child under 18. Do not start the work before the council approves the grant, or you may get nothing. The Challenging Behaviour Foundation says an occupational therapist can assess what is needed, and that equipment under £1,000 can usually be funded by the council or the local NHS. ### My child has no sense of danger. Can we get any extra help? Possibly. If your child needs much more supervision than other children of the same age, this can count towards Disability Living Allowance for children, or Child Disability Payment in Scotland. For DLA, the middle care rate covers continual supervision during the day. In England, a child who is constantly a significant risk near vehicles, in traffic or in car parks may also qualify for a Blue Badge. Ask your GP or health visitor about an occupational therapy assessment for safety equipment at home. ### What should I tell the police when I call 999? Say that your child is autistic and give their age, what they look like and what they are wearing. Explain how they communicate, whether they respond to their name, and anything that might frighten them, such as sirens or being touched. Say where they like to go, especially water or roads. A one-page profile and a recent photo on your phone make this quicker. ## Sources 1. [Occurrence and family impact of elopement in children with autism spectrum disorders (Anderson et al.)](https://europepmc.org/article/MED/23045563), Pediatrics (via Europe PMC), 2012 2. [Reported wandering behavior among children with autism spectrum disorder and/or intellectual disability (Rice et al.)](https://europepmc.org/article/MED/27157446), Journal of Pediatrics (via Europe PMC), 2016 3. [Injury mortality in individuals with autism (Guan and Li)](https://europepmc.org/article/MED/28323463), American Journal of Public Health (via Europe PMC), 2017 4. [Characteristics of unintentional drowning deaths in children with autism spectrum disorder (Guan and Li)](https://europepmc.org/article/MED/29218603), Injury Epidemiology (via Europe PMC), 2017 5. [Autism spectrum disorder and unintentional fatal drowning of children and adolescents in Australia (Peden and Willcox-Pidgeon)](https://europepmc.org/article/MED/32169851), Archives of Disease in Childhood (via Europe PMC), 2020 6. [Individuals with autism at substantially heightened risk for injury death (press release)](https://www.publichealth.columbia.edu/news/individuals-autism-substantially-heightened-risk-injury-death), Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, 21 March 2017 7. [Sensory differences](https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/topics/sensory-differences/sensory-differences/all-audiences), National Autistic Society 8. [Autism and sensory processing](https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/about-autism/sensory-processing), National Autistic Society 9. [Specialist equipment and safety adaptations](https://www.challengingbehaviour.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/017-Specialist-equipment-and-safety-adaptations-2024.pdf), Challenging Behaviour Foundation, December 2024 10. [Disabled Facilities Grants](https://www.gov.uk/disabled-facilities-grants), GOV.UK 11. [Water safety for children with autism](https://family-action.org.uk/self-help/water-safety-for-children-with-autism/), Family Action 12. [SEND water safety resources](https://www.rlss.org.uk/listing/category/send-resources), Royal Life Saving Society UK 13. [I am autistic: free downloadable cards](https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/resources/downloads/i-am-autistic), National Autistic Society 14. [Alert card schemes](https://www.npaa.org.uk/alert-card-schemes/), National Police Autism Association 15. [Kids' smartwatches vulnerable to hackers](https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/kids-smartwatches-vulnerable-to-hackers-a8gfl1e5VrT2), Which?, October 2017 16. [The UK Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure (PSTI) product security regime](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-uk-product-security-and-telecommunications-infrastructure-product-security-regime), GOV.UK 17. [Age appropriate design code (Children's code): code standards](https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/uk-gdpr-guidance-and-resources/childrens-information/childrens-code-guidance-and-resources/age-appropriate-design-a-code-of-practice-for-online-services/code-standards/), Information Commissioner's Office 18. [Who can get a Blue Badge?](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/blue-badge-can-i-get-one/can-i-get-a-blue-badge), GOV.UK, 10 August 2021 19. [What to do when someone goes missing](https://www.met.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/missing-person/missing-persons/what-to-do-when-someone-goes-missing/), Metropolitan Police 20. [Supporting an autistic child](https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/autism/supporting-a-child/), NHS, 6 May 2026 21. [Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for children: eligibility](https://www.gov.uk/disability-living-allowance-children/eligibility), GOV.UK 22. [Child Disability Payment](https://www.mygov.scot/child-disability-payment), mygov.scot --- General information for families in the UK, not medical, legal or financial advice. If you are worried about your child's health, contact your GP or call NHS 111 (in Northern Ireland, your GP out of hours service). In an emergency, call 999.