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."




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We Must Be Realistic About Autism

The importance of a realistic approach to autism is made clearer every time tragic news is received of an autistic child or adult wandering into danger, and sometimes death. We can have all the fine pseudo-intellectual discussions about labeling and the strengths enjoyed by some autistic people. But we must not, as some would have us do, embrace autism as a joy and ignore the harsh realities confronting some autistic persons and their families. Fortunately Keith Kennedy was found alive in the woods a week after walking away from camp. The stories of wandering, missing autistic people do not always turn out so well as illustrated by the tragic drowning death of a five year old autistic girl in Florida.

In Autistic child's death renews effort to keep kids safe Jennifer Rivera reports on reaction to the death of Kaitlin Bacile who drowned in a canal after wandering away from her home Saturday afternoon. Kaitlin left home through a door to the garage that she was able to get open. The article mentions some of the steps parents can take to protect their autistic children, including locked doors, alarms, tracking bracelets and teaching autistic children to swim. Do not assume that all autistic children are naturally good swimmers.

Personally I believe it is important to be realistic about your child's autism disorder and the challenges it presents and be proactive in preventing harm in coming to your child. Be alert, ever and always alert, to dangers presented by the everyday world of motor vehicle traffic, strangers, water and other hazards. And hope for the best.

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Autism Reality - Missing Autistic Girl Found Safe in Michigan

The Grand Rapids Press reports that a 9 year old autistic Michigan girl who doesn't speak was found Thursday May 15 on the front porch of a residence following a two-hour search by officers and neighbors and reunited with her parents. The girl was reunited with her parents, who called authorities about five minutes after she slipped out of their house.

The "autism is beautiful, autism is a culture" ideologues of the Neurodiversity cult don't say much when autistic children go missing or otherwise place themselves in harm's way. Of course common sense and extremist ideology rarely go hand in hand. And it is hard to blather about the "joy of autism" when an autistic child who can not speak has gone missing.

Thankfully this story had a happy ending and the girl is safe at home with her parents.

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Autistic Man Found Safe in Indiana

The South Bend Tribune reports Ryan Evans, 23, who is autistic, does not speak and communicates in writing or by signals, was found safe after wandering away for almost 8 hours. His mother thought he would seek out a familiar place which he did. " Shortly after midnight, she said, Ryan walked into the SpringHill Suites at Edison Lakes Parkway in Mishawaka and wrote a note to the clerks, asking them to call his family."

News reports of autistic children and adults wandering off and getting lost are fairly frequent. Most parents will understand what the parents of the people involved must feel during the time they are missing. Each and every happy ending to such reports is worth celebrating.

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Missing 17 Year Old Youth With Aspergers Found Safe in Manitoba

Sometimes the news is good. RCMP are reporting that a 17 year old youth with Asperger Syndrome who had gone missing without gloves or a toque has been found safe. He is receiving medical attention but is reported to be in good health.

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11 Year Old Autistic Boy In Zealand Killed In Traffic

I felt a real jolt when I saw this story from New Zealand on Hawke's Bay Today of an 11 year old autistic boy killed running alongside an expressway after sneaking out of his home clad only in his pyjamas. Police said Andrew had managed to flee his home in Spriggs Avenue despite his family doing all they could to ensure he stayed safely inside.

A few years ago Conor snuck out of the house without me noticing while I was engaged in a long business call. He crossed a parking lot in front of a busy drinking establishment and was crossing a busy main street when a good Samaritan stopped and took him to safety in a nearby service station convenience store.

Conor is alive and well, unlike Andrew Seong Nam Chan of Hawke's Bay, New Zealand, because of good luck and a good Samaritan. I have never in my life felt such intense fear, and intense guilt, as I did after realizing Conor had left the house. To this day, neither feeling is ever too far from my conscious mind. My thoughts are very much with Andrew's family.

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