7 Year Old Autistic Boy Missing in Snow and Wind in Nova Scotia

CBC and other news sources are reporting that James Delorey, a 7 year old autistic boy, has been missing since yesterday amidst snow and winds in Nova Scotia. The boy doesn't speak and was not dressed for the weather conditions when he apparently wondered off into the woods after the family dog. Hundreds of people on foot and ATV's (all terrain vehicles) have been looking for the boy today.

autism

Missing Autistic Boy Found Safe In New Orleans

What a reason to give thanks!

WDSU.com reports that Jack Engalade, an 11 year old autistic boy, has been found safe and in fine condition despite being missing and wandering New Orleans streets for five days. The WDSU site has a video clip of Jack home with his family on Thanksgiving.

autism

"He's Right Here", Missing Autistic Man, Keith Kennedy, Found Alive In Wisconsin

Keith Kennedy, the missing autistic man from Minnesota, has been found alive a mile from the Wisconsin camp from which he went missing a week ago. Mr. Kennedy was found, curled in a fetal position, severely dehydrated and covered with sores and ticks, just before searchers were to decide whether to start scaling back on search efforts according to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. It was the fourth sweep of that area by searchers who were amazed to find him:

"We were yelling for the other guys because [the woods were] so thick," he said. "Suddenly we came to a clearing and Jim said, 'He's right here.' I said, 'Who?' and Jim said, 'No, he's right here, the one we're looking for. He's right here.'"

Congratulations to all the searchers who made such a determined effort to find Keith Kennedy. Incredibly, and thankfully, this has ended well for Keith Kennedy and his family.

autism

Desperate Search Continues For Missing Autistic Man Keith Kennedy

Keith Kennedy, a 25 year old autistic man from Minnesota, has now been missing a week from Trade Lake Camp, a camp for developmentally disabled adults in Wisconsin. The search area has been expanded. With the passage of a week, and Mr. Kennedy's need for medication for his kidney, WCCO Minnesapolis reports that the search has become desperate and that his family is praying for a miracle. "It's especially challenging since Keith can be scared off by loud sounds and probably will not respond to his name."

autism

Autism Reality - Two Autistic Men Go Missing in Chicago Area

The reality of autism is much more than heart warming feel good stories. The reality of autism is not a culture, or a life style choice, for many severely affected persons with autism and their families. The news is often filled with such stories of autistic persons, children and adults, who wander off, and get lost, unable to look out for their own safety and well being. Sometimes such stories have happy conclusions. Other times ... they do not. I have commented in the past of a terrifying personal experience when my son left our home while I was talking on the phone. In the Chicago area TWO autistic men wandered off, went missing, in the last week alone.

In Family searches for missing man abc7chicago reports on 21 year old Jamaris Collins, who has the mental capacity of a young child, who had not returned several days after telling his aunt he was going for a walk to a nearby store. In Autistic man missing in Lyons the Chicago Tribune reported on John Valle, a 21 year old autistic man, who had no money, did not know his way around the Chicago area, cannot read or write and does not speak very often, who wandered away from his apartment in a Chicago suburb.

Hopefully, John Valle and Jamaris Collins will be found, or turn up, safe and sound.

autism