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American Academy of Pediatrics
Article

Occurrence and Family Impact of Elopement in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders

Connie Anderson, J. Kiely Law, Amy Daniels, Catherine Rice, David S. Mandell, Louis Hagopian and Paul A. Law
Pediatrics November 2012, 130 (5) 870-877; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2012-0762
Connie Anderson
aKennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, Maryland;
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J. Kiely Law
aKennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, Maryland;
bJohns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland;
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Amy Daniels
aKennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, Maryland;
cAutism Speaks, New York, New York;
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Catherine Rice
dNational Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia; and
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David S. Mandell
eUniversity of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Center for Mental Health Policy and Services Research, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
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Louis Hagopian
aKennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, Maryland;
bJohns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland;
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Paul A. Law
aKennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, Maryland;
bJohns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland;
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Abstract

OBJECTIVES: Anecdotal reports suggest that elopement behavior in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) increases risk of injury or death and places a major burden on families. This study assessed parent-reported elopement occurrence and associated factors among children with ASDs.

METHODS: Information on elopement frequency, associated characteristics, and consequences was collected via an online questionnaire. The study sample included 1218 children with ASD and 1076 of their siblings without ASD. The association among family sociodemographic and child clinical characteristics and time to first elopement was estimated by using a Cox proportional hazards model.

RESULTS: Forty-nine percent (n = 598) of survey respondents reported their child with an ASD had attempted to elope at least once after age 4 years; 26% (n = 316) were missing long enough to cause concern. Of those who went missing, 24% were in danger of drowning and 65% were in danger of traffic injury. Elopement risk was associated with autism severity, increasing, on average, 9% for every 10-point increase in Social Responsiveness Scale T score (relative risk 1.09, 95% confidence interval: 1.02, 1.16). Unaffected siblings had significantly lower rates of elopement across all ages compared with children with ASD.

CONCLUSIONS: Nearly half of children with ASD were reported to engage in elopement behavior, with a substantial number at risk for bodily harm. These results highlight the urgent need to develop interventions to reduce the risk of elopement, to support families coping with this issue, and to train child care professionals, educators, and first responders who are often involved when elopements occur.

KEY WORDS
  • autism spectrum disorders
  • elopement
  • wandering
  • Abbreviations:
    AD —
    autistic disorder
    ASD —
    autism spectrum disorder
    IAN —
    Interactive Autism Network
    PDD —
    pervasive developmental disorder
    SCQ —
    Social Communication Questionnaire
    SRS —
    Social Responsiveness Scale
    • Accepted June 20, 2012.
    • Copyright © 2012 by the American Academy of Pediatrics

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    Pediatrics
    Vol. 130, Issue 5
    1 Nov 2012
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    Occurrence and Family Impact of Elopement in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders
    Connie Anderson, J. Kiely Law, Amy Daniels, Catherine Rice, David S. Mandell, Louis Hagopian, Paul A. Law
    Pediatrics Nov 2012, 130 (5) 870-877; DOI: 10.1542/peds.2012-0762

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    Occurrence and Family Impact of Elopement in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders
    Connie Anderson, J. Kiely Law, Amy Daniels, Catherine Rice, David S. Mandell, Louis Hagopian, Paul A. Law
    Pediatrics Nov 2012, 130 (5) 870-877; DOI: 10.1542/peds.2012-0762
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