For families of children and adults with autism who are prone to wandering or elopement, a momentary loss of contact can quickly become an emergency. A new federal initiative aims to improve how communities across the country respond when an autistic person goes missing.
For Arizona families, however, there is something equally important to know: Arizona already has a statewide alert system that can include missing people with developmental disabilities.
A New National Focus on Autism and Wandering
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently announced the development of the National Autism Missing and Endangered Person Alert Initiative, the first national effort of its kind focused specifically on improving the response when an autistic child or adult goes missing.
The initiative brings together HHS, the U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to strengthen coordination among emergency managers, law enforcement, first responders and community partners.
Rather than creating an entirely new national alert system, the initiative will build on existing Missing and Endangered Person alert processes. Federal partners plan to develop autism-specific guidance, model protocols, training and best practices that state and local authorities can incorporate into their existing systems.
Why Wandering Is a Serious Safety Concern
Wandering, sometimes called elopement, occurs when a person leaves a safe or supervised area, potentially placing them at risk.
Research cited by HHS found that approximately half of autistic children engage in wandering at some point. One study found that 49% of children with autism had attempted to wander or elope at least once after age 4.
When someone wanders, traffic and water can present particularly serious dangers. HHS reports that drowning accounts for the majority of autism wandering fatalities and notes that many missing individuals are found close to their last known location.
That’s one reason the federal initiative will focus not only on issuing alerts but also on what happens during the search. Planned guidance will address issues including nearby water hazards, high-risk traffic areas, communication differences, search practices and safely approaching and recovering a missing autistic person.
Arizona Already Has the SAFE Alert
On Sept. 26, 2025, the Arizona Department of Public Safety replaced the state’s former Silver Alert system with the expanded Seek and Find Alert, or SAFE Alert.
Unlike a system based solely on age, a SAFE Alert can be issued for a missing person of any age who has been diagnosed with a developmental or cognitive disability as defined by Arizona law, Alzheimer’s disease or dementia. It also covers missing adults age 65 and older.
Having a developmental or cognitive disability does not automatically trigger a SAFE Alert. Specific criteria must be met. The investigating law enforcement agency must use available local resources, determine that the person disappeared under unexplained or suspicious circumstances and believe the person is in danger. There must also be enough information available that sharing it with the public could help locate the person.
Only the law enforcement agency investigating the disappearance can request activation of a SAFE Alert.
When the criteria are met, Arizona DPS can distribute information through resources including the Emergency Alert System, law enforcement bulletins, highway message boards when a vehicle is involved, the DPS website and mobile app, social media, text and email.
Arizona has already used the SAFE Alert in cases involving autism. In June 2026, for example, an alert was issued for a 22-year-old autistic man with cognitive and developmental disabilities who had left a Glendale group home. He was later located.
How Could the New Federal Initiative Help Arizona?
The new national initiative isn’t intended to replace systems such as Arizona’s SAFE Alert.
Instead, it could help make existing systems more consistent and better informed about autism.
Federal agencies plan to develop autism-specific alert messaging, search protocols and first-responder training. That could include helping responders recognize autism-related wandering, account for communication differences, quickly identify water and other high-risk areas, and safely approach an autistic person once located.
Ultimately, state and local authorities will decide whether and how to incorporate the federal recommendations into their existing emergency-response systems. The federal initiative is still being developed, so families should not expect immediate changes to Arizona’s SAFE Alert process.
What Arizona Families Should Do if a Loved One Goes Missing
Families should not wait to see whether someone returns on their own.
Call 911 immediately and tell the dispatcher that the missing person is autistic or has a developmental disability and may be at increased risk.
Provide as much useful information as possible, including:
- Communication needs and how the person may respond to strangers or first responders
- Whether the person is attracted to water, traffic, trains or other potential hazards
- Favorite places or locations the person may try to reach
- Behaviors that may affect how responders should approach them
- Medical needs or medications
- A recent photograph and description of clothing
- Any available location information from a phone, GPS device or other tracking technology
HHS also recommends that families of children and adults known to be at risk of wandering consider GPS or other location-tracking technology as one part of an individualized safety plan. Tracking technology can support faster recovery, but it should supplement, rather than replace, prevention planning and an immediate call to 911 when someone is missing.
Know the System Before You Need It
No family wants to imagine needing a missing-person alert. But for families supporting someone who wanders, understanding the system before an emergency occurs can be an important part of safety planning.
Arizona’s SAFE Alert provides a statewide mechanism for qualifying cases involving people with developmental and cognitive disabilities. The new National Autism Missing and Endangered Person Alert Initiative could eventually strengthen systems like Arizona’s by giving law enforcement and first responders more consistent, autism-informed tools for alerts, searches and safe recovery.
When someone is missing, every minute matters. Knowing what resources are already available can help families be better prepared to act quickly.
Learn more about Arizona’s SAFE Alert system.
Learn more about the National Autism Missing and Endangered Person Alert Initiative.
