BEL AIR, Md. — Children with autism wander away for a variety of reasons - curiosity, fear, discomfort. But this wandering can sometimes turn deadly, especially when water is involved.
A child with autism is 160 times more likely to drown than other children, according to the Maryland Autism Coalition. In 2024, seven children with autism drowned in the state. Now, a coalition of advocates is working to raise awareness about those risks.
"Now I can really honestly say, I know what can happen. I know the dark side of elopement," said Brittany Bledsoe, who lives in Montgomery County.
Last summer, Bledsoe experienced an unthinkable tragedy. At the apartment complex pool, the gate was left open. Her 3-year-old son Ace, who had autism, got in and drowned.
"I feel like a parent should know what the consequences and what can happen, because you don't think it could happen to you," Bledsoe shares.
Bledsoe worked with the Coalition, which is a group of about 20 nonprofits and agencies, and is featured in a new PSA campaign to raise awareness. The initiative aims to educate parents about the high rate of drowning for children with autism who wander away.
About 70 percent of wandering-related deaths among children with autism are from drowning.
"I know as a parent that I didn't know about the high risk of drowning until my son was 12 years old," said Shelly McLaughlin, co-chair of the coalition and program director for locally-based Pathfinders for Autism.
McLaughlin, who is also the mother of a son with autism, spoke to WMAR at the Coppermine Bel Air Athletic Club, one of the sites where autism families can use "swim scholarships" to learn water safety.
McLaughlin emphasizes that the risk doesn't change with the seasons.
"Wandering and elopement and drowning doesn't tend to make people's radars, and we're finding that a lot of providers aren't sharing that necessary information with parents," she explains. "So we're trying to make sure that parents know this, even if they're simply in the process of getting a diagnosis, we would like to see providers share this information," McLaughlin added.
READ MORE: Autism nonprofit promotes swim safety amid tragic summer drownings
Bledsoe, meantime, urged parents to take precautions, such as installing Ring cameras or door sensors.
She also celebrates the passage of a state bill named after Ace, which requires schools to inform parents when a child wanders. The bill awaits only the governor's signature.
"This is real life, and I feel like we as a community should be ready for these kids, not get these kids ready for us," Bledsoe says.
This report was converted from its original broadcast television script to a web article with the assistance of an AI tool. A WMAR-2 News journalist thoroughly reviewed its contents before posting it to our website.
