Gemstones ABA Center, LLC

Raleigh Families! Free to Attend! 30 booths of neurodiverse resources and community partners! Meet and engage with our first responders from Holly Springs Police, Fire, and Angier Police! Thank you to all our presenting sponsors! Gemstones ABA Center, LLC HANDS Center for Autism ABS Kids, Cary Estate Planning, Cole Health, Fusion Academy, BENEFIT THERAPY SERVICES, PLLC, Bright Achievements, SpringBrook Behavioral Health. Music, food trucks, a magic show, and a quiet area!

Eloping. Most really are unaware of what the meaning depicts when you are raising a child with autism. Early this morning my phone rang, I began to shake seeing the name. When she calls, she's seen my daughter, not where she should be and she's trying to get her home. My daughter has autism. Not the kind of autism you see where a child goes to college, makes a public speaking debut or even lives in the surrounding community involved in day to day activities. We are in the "middle". She's not got profound autism. She speaks. Her IQ is "normal", she can meet her own needs and we can teach her to provide herself minimal care but yet, she's vulnerable. She isn't aware of danger and she seeks input. She elopes to get what she wants and needs unaware of what could happen. Yesterday, we got a call from a neighbor. Our daughter was seen heading away from our home. One of our challenges is her eloping. In 2021, she eloped. Since then it's been a worry. She has Project Lifesaver but still she gets inquisitive. It is like being in fight or flight as a parent, always. Eloping isn't talked about a lot. And parents are often embarrassed by it. When I share I get asked do you have an alarm? Yes. How about sensors. Yes. Do you tell her not to go? Yes. Have you talked to her? Yes. We continue to do all these things but autism is autism and she doesn't always understand. So what are some tips we have found useful to support our family while living with this? 1. Teach her to swim. This was first and foremost in my mind as the number of autistic children going missing that end up deceased is unfathomable. So we taught her to swim. 2. Alert the neighbors. All our neighbors know and many have called or told us and when my own APB goes out to the neighborhood group chat, they rally and we find her. 3. If she is missing in a crowded place, begin to call out what she looks like and is wearing. "Female, age 10, wandering, has autism, pink shirt, pink shorts, hair half up" Continue to repeat that until she is found. 4. Register her with local authorities. 5. Speak with area businesses they may try to get to. 6. Consider a tracking device or Project Lifesaver. Today I am exhausted. I didn't sleep well last night, waking and wondering if she had wandered again (even with her door alarm on). We have also had to nail her windows almost completely shut. Yes, it's scary but there is a greater chance of her leaving than a fire in our home. We are in a middle place, the one rarely people hear of or see but with more education, awareness and sharing we can create a more inclusive, understanding, empathetic world. Next time you hear about a child, one with autism, gone missing. Don't judge, find out how you can be a support to the family in need. #autism #challenge #eloping #behavior #asd #parenting

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