About 1 in 88 children has been identified with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) according to estimates from CDC’s Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network.
The wandering and elopement survey found that approximately half of parents of children with autism report that their child elopes. Among these families, nearly 50% say that their child went missing long enough to cause significant concern about safety. The tendency of individuals with ASD to wander or “bolt” puts them at risk of trauma, injury or even death. More than one third of children who elope are never or rarely able to communicate their name, address, or phone number verbally or by writing/typing. Two in three parents report their missing children had a “close call” with a traffic injury. On average, medical expenditures for individuals with an ASD were 4.1–6.2 times greater than for those without an ASD.
Wandering was ranked among the most stressful ASD behaviors by 58% of parents of eloping autistics. A new technology from GTX Corp can help parents and caregivers track the whereabouts of their kids and ensure they are safe. This new technology is provided in partnership with the Talk About Curing Autism (TACA). The multi-patented GPS technology platform will also soon serve as the foundation for products designed to help the millions of families affected by autism, as a result of the new partnership between GTX Corp and Talk About Curing Autism (TACA).
