One second you’re holding an autistic child’s hand, and the next they’re out the front door.
That’s what local city and school officials say it’s like keeping an eye on an autistic child, calling children who are prone to escapist-tendencies “runners.”
Though it is not a pressing problem locally, it only takes one missing child to change an official’s mind.
So when Avonte’s Law passed last Wednesday, proposed after an autistic child’s remains were found in New York City in October, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said the Justice Department would make grant money available for counties asking to provide tracking devices.
“This is definitely something we should look into applying for locally,” said Steve Patterson, councilman and member of the Athens Disabilities Commission.
The devices can be sewn into clothing or worn on a child’s wrist or ankle. Similar national programs already exist to offer assistance to patients with Alzheimers, and Patterson said he believes this program should have included autistic children long ago.
Each tracking device costs $80 to $90, and a small monthly fee, but would be free to residents with autistic children after an application process. The Justice Department would allocate funding as needed.
The devices could be programmed to alert authorities if a child steps out of a certain parameter.
“It’s a small price to pay, and most local schools don’t have all of the education necessary to keep kids safe,” said Shannon Coconis, president of the National Autism Association of Southeast Ohio. “For Avonte, in New York, he was a runner. It was a life or death situation, and many schools around here have kids who wander as well.”
Maryalice Turner, principal of Beacon School, which provides education for special needs residents from ages 3 to 21, said she doesn’t see the devices as necessary, considering how well staffed Beacon School is.
“Even though we have some runners, we run with them,” she said. “We haven’t had much trouble with it, though it might help on a personal level for parents.”
Because the tracking devices are GPS-based, some worry that Southeast Ohio’s occasionally weak satellite signals could cause malfunctions.
“We used the GPS once at a local fair; our concern was that (my son) would walk off with someone.,” Coconis said. “It only worked okay.”
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This story appeared in print under the headline "New law to keep
autistic kids safe."
