Autism and wandering - safety tips for handling autistic children while outside

SHAH ALAM - Many autistic children and teenagers wander or run off, even when adults are supervising them.

Sometimes autistic children wander aimlessly. Other times, they want to get somewhere in particular, or they bolt suddenly to get away from something.

When you understand why your autistic child wanders, it can help you work out the best way to manage the wandering.

You can do this by looking at what seems to trigger your child’s wandering and what your child gets out of it.

Then, you might be able to change or manage the wandering by changing either the triggers or what your child gets out of it.

For example, if your child is sensitive to noise and light, they may attempt to flee when you are in the store together.

The trigger for wandering in this setting is too much noise and light.

Running away is your child's approach to alleviating the discomfort caused by the loudness and brightness.

You can get around this by avoiding taking your child to the grocery, going at a quieter time, or thanking your youngster for staying with you.

Autistic children may wander for a variety of causes. For example, they may like to: