(WBRE/WYOU) — In the wake of the tragic loss of the seven-year-old non-verbal autistic child last weekend, Lawmakers and advocacy groups are looking for solutions to prevent it from happening again.
28/22 News Reporter Avery Nape spoke with a local non-profit that focuses on children with special needs to find out what measures both parents and the public can take to protect such a vulnerable population.
"In a split second, you know, they could be gone and missing," Brighterjourneys Board Member Cathy Palicki explained.
Anyone who has interacted with small children knows they can be unpredictable, but that can be amplified when combined with special needs like autism.
Which is why members of the non-profit, Brigtherjourneys, say being alert and proactive is necessary.
"They can be very quick, and we feel that if they were to get out of the house, at least a fence would be a second form of security and time, which is of the essence," Brighterjourneys Project Coordinator and Board Member Cathy Bufalino stated.
Fences they have helped supply to some families, but before it gets to that point, the group suggests alarms, locks, and a keen set, or sets, of eyes. The more the better.
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But even with all of these precautions, keeping a child who is a flight risk safe is easier said than done.
"They just don't understand risks, you know, they can put themselves in harm, and they're not sure if it's good or bad," Palicki added.
On Monday, State Representative Robert Leadbeter introduced Aiden's Law in remembrance of seven-year-old Aiden Ha, the non-verbal autistic boy whose body was found in the Susquehanna River after he had been missing for more than a day.
The proposed legislation would establish "Purple Alerts," similar to amber or silver alerts.
It would be tailored to people with intellectual disabilities, providing their name and photo in hopes of a quick recovery, and when hours, minutes, and even seconds count, the group says those alerts, combined with as many safety nets as possible, could be crucial.
"Time is of the essence, and no one can be on 24/7, you can turn your back and they just decide 'I want to go this way' and it's, it can be very quick," Bufalino told 28/22 News.
A GoFundMe has been set up by one of Aiden's family members.
