https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/keeping-kids-with-developmental-differences-safe/

The tragic story of Maddox Ritch, a 6-year-old boy with autism from North Carolina who ran away from his father in a park and drowned, shows to the difficulties families of children with autism encounter and the efforts they make to keep their children safe. The children run away from them in parking lots. They don’t consistently respond to their names. They see something they are interested in and crawl out of car seats while the vehicle is moving.

Some parents are so concerned that they do not leave home unless absolutely necessary—they’re even afraid to send their children to school, because the kids might run away without anyone noticing. They fear judgment by the public and law enforcement. As clinicians who care for children with developmental differences, we get questions almost every day from people who want to know what they can do to stop these dangerous behaviors.