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Critical Incidents: Analysis of Missing Children With Reported Autism Spectrum Disorder

Analysis of 2,278 US missing-child cases, including 198 autistic children: 87% were non-forcible departures; 75% had previously departed; drowning was the main fatal mechanism. In 24% of relevant fatalities, the eventual location had already been searched.

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Why it matters: Supports urgent information gathering on prior departures, immediate triggers and water exposure. It also reinforces the need to record exactly how nearby water and other high-consequence areas were searched before treating them as cleared.

Limitations and transferability: Retrospective cases sent to a federal crisis-watch unit, not all missing-child incidents; search-detail data were unavailable in many cases. Directly useful for SAR–police liaison, but it should inform questioning and reassessment—not become a stand-alone search-profile rule.

Training influence: Build scenarios around an autistic child who has left following a trigger. Assess initial questions, water prioritisation, repeated/alternative-method searches, and documentation of search method, viewing angle and conditions.

SAR training sections: Initial Incident Picture; information gathering and subject assessment; search urgency and survivability; scenario development; POA/POD; search-area debrief and assurance; reassessment and replanning; water search.

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