Update 2 in Post 19: Wandering/Elopement

[Gena]

Has anyone had to head with wandering/elopement with their child with ASD or other special needs?

DS has always been a runner. In the past it's been more of a problem when we are out in the community: running away from us at the mall, the zoo, etc. Until recently, he did well staying in more structured environments, like home at school.

Lately, DS has had a surge of independence. Overall, this is a good thing, but with it has come 2 difficult issues:defiance (or non-complaince, as the autism professionals perfer to call it) and wanderlust (aka elopement).

We have had a couple of incidents of DS leaving the house without us knowing about it. Both times were frightening, but he didn't go far. Yesterday DS managed to get out of the fenced and gated playground at his after-school care program. He only got a few feet before a staff member caught him, but if he had been quicker he probably could have gotten farther away.

If your child has a tendency to wander (run away/elope), especially at a school or daycare setting, what steps have you and the staff taken to prevent this from happening?