Tips for Caregivers Supporting Children on the Autism Spectrum

Taking a proactive approach to supporting children on the autism spectrum, this document provides tips that Home Safe partner NCMEC (National Center for Missing and Exploited Children) recommends for caregivers. Research suggests nearly half of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) will go missing. More than one-third of children on the autism spectrum who go missing may not speak, and for some children leaving their environment is a nonverbal form of communication. Some leave because they are feeling overwhelming stimuli, such as sights, sounds, surroundings, or the disruptive activities of others. Others leave home or school and seek out things they are attracted to, such as water, trains, traffic, or the woods.