Reported Wandering Behavior among Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and/or Intellectual Disability

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Catherine Rice, Emory University; Benjamin Zablotsky, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Rosa M. Avila, University of Washington; Lisa J. Colpe, National Institute of Mental Health; Laura A. Schieve, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Beverly Pringle, National Institute of Mental Health; Stephen J. Blumberg, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Language: English
• Date: 2016-07-01
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Publication Version: Author Accepted Manuscript (After Peer Review)
• Copyright Statement: © 2016 Elsevier Inc.
• License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 International
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jpeds.2016.03.047
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: Journal of Pediatrics
• ISSN: 0022-3476
• Volume: 174
• Start Page: 232
• End Page: 239
• Grant/Funding Information: Funded by the National Institute of Mental Health with funds available from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) (Public Law 111-5).
• Keywords: ADULTS; Pediatrics; Science & Technology; DEATH; FUNCTIONAL-ANALYSIS; ELOPEMENT; CARE NEEDS; HEALTH; CHALLENGING BEHAVIORS; Life Sciences & Biomedicine
• Research Categories: Psychology, Behavioral; Psychology, General

Abstract

Objective To characterize wandering, or elopement, among children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and intellectual disability. Study design Questions on wandering in the previous year were asked of parents of children with ASD with and without intellectual disability and children with intellectual disability without ASD as part of the 2011 Survey of Pathways to Diagnosis and Services. The Pathways study sample was drawn from the much larger National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs conducted in 2009-2010. Results For children with special healthcare needs diagnosed with either ASD, intellectual disability, or both, wandering or becoming lost during the previous year was reported for more than 1 in 4 children. Wandering was highest among children with ASD with intellectual disability (37.7%) followed by children with ASD without intellectual disability (32.7%), and then children with intellectual disability without ASD (23.7%), though the differences between these groups were not statistically significant. Conclusions This study affirms that wandering among children with ASD, regardless of intellectual disability status, is relatively common. However, wandering or becoming lost in the past year was also reported for many children with intellectual disability, indicating the need to broaden our understanding of this safety issue to other developmental disabilities.