Elopement & Autism: Ensure Your Child’s Safety Now! [Podcast Episode #220]

What Is Elopement in Autism?

Elopement—also known as wandering—is a common behavior among children with autism. It refers to when a child leaves a safe environment without permission, often placing themselves in potentially dangerous situations. According to the National Autism Association, 49% of autistic children have attempted to elope, and the behavior typically peaks between ages 4 and 7.

Understanding the causes of elopement is the first step toward reducing its frequency and improving safety.

Top Causes of Elopement in Autistic Children

1. Sensory Overload or Sensory Seeking

Many children with autism experience sensory processing differences. They may find certain environments too loud, bright, or overwhelming, leading them to flee. Others may seek out sensory-rich experiences—like spinning fans, running water, or flashing lights—and wander off in pursuit of them.

2. Communication Difficulties

Children with limited or nonverbal communication skills may elope as a way to express a need or emotion. Elopement becomes a nonverbal message, saying “I’m upset,” “I need a break,” or “I don’t understand.”

3. Escaping Demands or Transitions

Some children elope to avoid non-preferred activities, such as schoolwork, chores, or social interaction. Elopement can function as a behavioral response to challenging expectations or transitions.

4. Anxiety and Fight-or-Flight Responses

Autistic children often experience anxiety in social or unfamiliar settings. For some, running away is a natural response to overwhelming fear, acting as a way to self-soothe or find safety.

5. Impulsivity and Poor Executive Function

Children on the autism spectrum may also struggle with impulse control and planning. In some cases, they may run impulsively without a clear goal or without recognizing potential dangers.

6. Goal-Directed Wandering

Not all elopement is escape behavior. Sometimes children are simply trying to reach a desired location—like a favorite playground, a relative’s house, or even a store they remember.

7. One of the most common, yet unknown, triggers for elopement is phenol sensitivity. Elopement is from many things but the sensory overload and impulsivity also come from phenols known to contribute to eloping. 

Phenols are the natural colorings in foods such as in fruits and vegetables. Phenols are also in the artificial colorings that are in yogurt, candy, and popsicles, etc. Used industrially, they help form and are contained in plastics. They can be an allergen, whether from food or plastic products. People with poor methylation are often phenol sensitive. It is very common for children on the autism spectrum to be allergic to phenols. This is often due to an ill digestive tract.

Normally the body could properly utilize and eliminate phenols. Phenols and salicylates are in most foods. Candida/yeast overgrowth and leaky gut contribute to phenol sensitivity. Leaky gut will allow these chemicals to enter the bloodstream in high 

concentrations. This alarms the body and triggers an immune response which creates an allergy to these chemicals...

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