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Autism Creates Family Workshop

June 10, July 8, August 12, 10am to 11am

Mohamed Fofana, a 4-year-old boy with autism described as nonspeaking, was found dead on the shoreline of Spectacle Island this past May after being reported missing at Castle Island. His death echoes similar cases of children with autism spectrum disorder who have either drowned or died near bodies of water after wandering off.

Children on the autism spectrum may leave a safe setting where they are supervised if they are overstimulated, said Lori McIlwain, the co-founder of the National Autism Association. In cases like these, some children with autism may wander off to a “low-sensory area,” such as a body of water, to ease their nerves.

In theory, water can provide a therapeutic value for children with ASD, which has a calming effect on them, McIlwain said. But it can also be dangerous.

“These kids do have a diminished sense of fear,” said Dr. John E. Bischoff III, the vice president of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s Missing Children Division.

Nearly 85% of accidental deaths among children with ASD were attributed to drowning incidents, according to a decade-long analysis from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

In the early 2000s, the organization noticed an increase in reports of missing children with autism, Bischoff said. In collaboration with autism advocacy groups, the organization developed protocols to assist in finding these children. One protocol involved alerting callers to search near bodies of water when reporting a missing child who has autism.

Research shows that young children with autism are especially prone to wandering off. One study that surveyed 1,218 children on the spectrum found that nearly half of them had wandered off at least once in their lifetimes, with 26% of respondents reporting being missing long enough to cause serious concern.

“It’s incredibly sad for a lot of our kids, they’re doing their best all the time,” McIlwain said. “The sensory volume of their world is just always on high and they’re coping with it the best that they can. And when you have that one more thing that’s added on top of