Autistic Halifax Teen Jennifer Graves-Smith Found Safe After Wandering For 10 Hours In Bitter Cold

Autistic children and adults are prone to wandering and becoming lost, sometimes with limited communication skills. Sometimes, it ends well as it has for Jennifer Graves-Smith in Halifax, Nova Scotia:

As reported on the CBC :

"An 18-year-old with autism is safe after she disappeared for nearly 10 hours in bitter cold.

Jennifer Graves-Smith vanished after leaving her school, Halifax West High, at about 3:30 p.m. AT on Tuesday. She was reported missing when she failed to turn up for her bus ride home.

Halifax Regional Police said the teen wandered near the school for hours and ended up in the lobby of a nearby apartment building just after 1 a.m. Wednesday."




autism

Read more »

Autism Challenges and Progress - Conor Visits Grammy and Grampy

The pictures below show, taken yesterday during day 1 of our visit with my parents in Nova Scotia, show some progress Conor has made of late. Conor, in recent years has been unable to come into the home of either his Nanny, (Conor's mother's mother) or the home of my parents. At both locations he would hide in the bathroom or come out with his eyes closed and ears covered. These were people and places he had always loved but could no longer be with. When Conor has not seen someone with whom he once spent time he often reacts this way as he did with former therapists and aides whose company he used to enjoy but had not seen for awhile. It is as though these people aides, therapists, grandparents are all part of earlier chapters of a book and their presence in a new chapter disturbs the story line.

In the pictures below Conor does come into the living room albeit with his ears covered. He did look around the room taking it in. This might not seem like much to many people but to this Dad it is a great improvement. Conor was stressed though and I did not put him through it too long. Back at the motel Conor relaxes, as he does every night at home watching JEOPARDY!® with "the host of JEOPARDY!® Alex Trebek! " (and with Dad too).






























autism

Read more »