Wandering (Elopement) and Water: A Safety Plan for Families

A wandering safety plan has two halves: prevention (secure the home, know the triggers, teach safety skills and tell the people nearby) and response (who calls 911, who checks which water, and what responders need to know). Write it down before you need it, share it, and practice it.

This guide is written mainly for families of autistic children, but the same plan works for toddlers who bolt and for adults living with dementia, with the changes noted below.

Why wandering and water are linked

The National Autism Association (NAA) defines wandering, or elopement, as the tendency to leave the safety of a responsible person's care or a safe area (opens in a new tab), whether that's running off at school, leaving a classroom or slipping out of the house. NAA notes it is common and short-lived in toddlers, but may persist or come back in people with autism.

The research is sobering:

• It's common. In a national survey, 49% of parents said their child with autism had tried to wander or bolt at least once after age 4 (opens in a new tab). Of the children who went missing, 24% were in danger of drowning.
• Drowning is the leading danger. NAA says drowning remains the leading cause of death following elopement in the autism community (opens in a new tab). The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) reports that in 2025, at least 98 children and young adults on the autism spectrum were recovered deceased after going missing, and 88% drowned (opens in a new tab). Two-thirds of those drownings were in natural or natural-looking water.
• It happens close by and fast. NCMEC says these drownings most often occur within a few hundred feet to a half mile of the missing location, and within a few minutes (opens in a new tab).
• Ponds near home. In news-reported drownings of children with autism from 2000 to 2017, wandering was the most common activity before the drowning (opens in a new tab), and about half happened in ponds.

Wandering usually has a reason. NAA describes it as typically a form of communication (opens in a new tab), often to get to something of interest (like water) or away from something bothersome, such as noise, commotion, fears or demands. Knowing your child's reasons is the first step in prevention.

Secure the home

NAA's prevention checklist starts with the home. Use the layers that fit your family:

• Doors, gates and the garage. NAA lists securing the home, outdoor gates and garage door (opens in a new tab), plus simple window and door alarms and baby monitors. The AAP suggests safety gates, door locks or doorknob covers (opens in a new tab), and turning on the door chime if you have a home security system.
• Visual cues. NAA suggests using alarms along with visual aids like stop signs on doors, windows and pool gates (opens in a new tab).
• A calm place to go. NAA suggests offering a safe-space "escape" alternative, such as a tent or quiet nook within the home (opens in a new tab), so the need to get away doesn't mean getting out.
• Know the triggers. Note what tends to come before an attempt: noise, transitions, a demand, a sight of water.
• ID that travels with them. NAA lists wearable identification and locating technology. NAA also stresses that, whatever tools you use, close supervision and security in all settings (opens in a new tab) are still critical.
• Swim lessons. NAA includes enrolling in swimming lessons in its checklist. See adaptive swim lessons.
• Fence the water you control. Any home pool needs a four-sided fence and a self-closing, self-latching gate.

Higher-risk times. NAA says wandering is more likely during transitions, vacations, holidays, parties, unfamiliar places, new moves, stress and noise, daytime co-napping and overnight hours (opens in a new tab). Plan extra coverage for those times, and check for nearby water at any place you visit or stay.

For adults with dementia, the Alzheimer's Association suggests measures such as deadbolts out of the line of sight, door alarms or bells, and fences around the yard (opens in a new tab), and cautions never to lock a person in at home or leave them unsupervised in new surroundings.

For door hardware ideas for young children, see stopping toddlers from slipping outside.

Alert neighbors, school and responders

A plan that lives only in your head can't help when you're the one searching.

• Make a one-page profile. NAA's free Personal Emergency Profile (opens in a new tab) has spaces for a photo, physical description, emergency contacts, likely places they may go, likes and dislikes, signs of escalation, and medical needs, plus picture symbols rescuers can point to. NAA suggests completing and sharing it at least once a year.
• Tell neighbors. Especially those with pools, ponds or busy driveways. Ask them to call you, or 911, if they see your child alone.
• Tell the school. NAA, summarizing a 2012 study in Pediatrics, notes that nearly one-third of wandering incidents happened from a school setting (opens in a new tab). Ask how the school prevents and responds to wandering, and give them the profile.
• Tell local responders. NAA suggests giving its free Be REDy booklet for first responders to your local police, fire or sheriff's department (opens in a new tab). NCMEC offers free guides for caregivers, first responders and 911 dispatchers (opens in a new tab).

For dementia, the Alzheimer's Association suggests asking neighbors and friends to call if they see the person wandering, keeping a recent, close-up photo on hand for police (opens in a new tab), and identifying dangerous areas near home such as bodies of water.

If your loved one is missing

Have this list printed and on the fridge.

1. Call 911 immediately. Tell the dispatcher the person has autism (or dementia), is drawn to water, how they communicate, and whether they may not answer to their name. NCMEC notes that some children may not respond to searchers when their name is called, and may hide (opens in a new tab).
2. Search water first. Start with the pools and water closest to where they were last seen. NAA lists less obvious water too: drainage ditches, gravel pits, stock ponds and troughs (opens in a new tab). The Red Cross reminds families that seconds count (opens in a new tab).
3. Send your search partners. NAA's Family Wandering Emergency Plan (opens in a new tab) suggests lining up at least five willing search partners ahead of time, each with an assigned location, and a group text so you can reach everyone at once.
4. Keep someone at home in case your loved one comes back, and with any younger children.
5. Give responders the profile and a photo.

For adults with dementia, the Alzheimer's Association advises starting the search immediately, checking nearby ponds and brush, and calling 911 if the person isn't found within 15 minutes (opens in a new tab). If there's water nearby or you believe they're in danger, call now.

If you find someone in the water, call 911 if no one has, get help, and follow the dispatcher's instructions. Our guide to calling 911 near water covers how to give your exact location.

Practice and review the plan

NAA's emergency plan includes two steps families often skip: plan a mock drill as if it were a real emergency, and update the plan as needed (opens in a new tab).

• Run a drill with your search partners: who gets the text, who goes where, how long it takes.
• Review after changes: a new school, a move, a growth spurt, a new behavior, or a trip.
• Before every trip, look up the water near where you'll stay, and pack the profile.

Keep the whole plan in one place:

For everyday water safety for autistic children, see water safety for children with autism. At the beach, see what to do if your child gets lost at the beach.

What you can do today

1. Download NAA's Family Wandering Emergency Plan and fill in the first page tonight.
2. List five search partners and create the group text.
3. Map the water within half a mile of home, school and any regular stops.
4. Add one layer to the door your loved one uses most: an alarm, a high lock or a stop-sign visual.
5. Share the profile with the school and one neighbor this week.
6. Put a drill on the calendar for the next month.