Did you know that elopement, also known as wandering off, is a common issue for parents of autistic children? Autistic children are more prone to wandering to avoid adverse situations, for enjoyment purposes, as a result of a lack of understanding verbal communication, and due to an impaired sense of safety.
In one tragic example of this, Joshua Lal-Lateef Jr., a beloved six-year-old boy, went missing in November of 2024 after wandering away from the safety of his home. Joshua was both autistic and nonverbal, so his family was reasonably distressed at what could happen to the youngster alone. Sadly, he was later discovered behind the family’s home in a pond, where he had drowned.
One of the top things parents can do to help aid their children is to ensure their kids are prepared to handle common dangerous situations they may encounter when parents are not there to help. The owner of Swim Life Northern Kentucky, Eric Moore, was so touched by Joshua’s story that he decided to take action. His company launched an annual scholarship to pay for swimming lessons for autistic and nonverbal children.
This program gives children access to lifesaving skills, and parents benefit from the added layer of protection. Instructors teach the children how to flip onto their backs and float. Since the children taking this course are autistic, they will be provided sufficient one-on-one attention. This type of training is usually expensive, so the scholarship funding is critical. It provides complete funding for up to four families.
Does Your Autistic Child Need Extra Support in Las Vegas?
Statistics show that drowning is the number one accidental death in America for children ages one to four, but it’s the number one cause of accidental death for autistic children.
If your child has autism and you think they need additional support services, then you might be interested in the compassionate care offered here at the Nevada Autism Center. Our company focuses on one-on-one therapy, group play, and social skills groups to help your child grow and thrive. Our 8,000 sq ft facility features a gymnasium that our team often uses for group play and therapy.
The goal of our treatment program is to help your child become more independent while also replacing maladaptive coping with more prosocial coping mechanisms.
Our assessment starts with a parent interview where we’ll talk about your child’s routine, strengths, and weaknesses. Then, our team will perform individualized assessments on your child to identify the best possible treatment plan moving forward. Comprehensive assessments and evaluations are one of the foundational components of our ABA therapy programs, since they help direct our treatment professionals on how to best serve your child’s needs.
Our facility currently accepts major insurance policies for payment, including Aetna, BlueCross BlueShield, Health Plan of Nevada, and more.
Are you interested in taking advantage of our treatment options? Get started by filling out our online form, and one of our experts will reach back out to you as soon as possible.
