We are conducting a research study to address the behavior of elopement among children with autism spectrum disorder. Elopement occurs when an individual who requires some level of supervision to be safe, leaves the supervised and safe area that they are in and is exposed to potential dangers. This includes bolting away when nobody is looking, wandering off when their supervisor is distracted, or purposely avoiding being seen to leave the supervised area. Elopement can be stressful for families and this behavior can negatively affect their everyday life. We are recruiting caregivers of children between the ages of 2 and 12 years old who have been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and who have eloped before to participate in our study. Our participants will complete an anonymous, online questionnaire about their experience with elopement. The purpose of this project is to determine the impact that elopement has on families, what families currently do to help with the behavior, and whether or not families are getting the support that they need. If we determine that this behavior is negatively affecting families’ lives and that support is low, we can then take the next step to determine how we can better support families in need.
For more information, please contact Jenna Heschuk at heschukj@myumanitoba.ca