Autistic Teen Missing in W Va , Let Us Hope He Is Found Safe

All parents fear an event like this one. I have experienced some of the fear of the family in this story although for nowhere near as long a time. When your child has little or no communication skills and restricted intellectual capacity the fears are extremely intense.

Let us all hope that Jacob Allen is found safe and in good health.


Autistic teen still missing in W. Va.

Family, rescuers worry that 3 days have now gone by

Thursday, October 18, 2007

By Anya Sostek, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

LANEVILLE, W.Va. -- Hundreds of people searching for an autistic teenager lost in the woods of West Virginia tried to keep their spirits up yesterday as a third full day passed with little sign of 18-year-old Jacob Allen.

Mr. Allen, of Morgantown, wandered away from his parents during a Sunday afternoon hike in the Dolly Sods Wilderness Area. He cannot communicate verbally and has the mental capacity of a 3- or 4-year-old child.

"Every minute that passes is harder and harder," said his 22-year-old sister, Brittany. "I just feel like I'm sitting there waiting for the phone to ring."

Time is critical because "the odds of a successful rescue go down significantly after 72 hours," said Greg Davenport, of Stevenson, Wash., who has written six books on survival. That deadline lapsed yesterday afternoon.