>>
>> NO.
>> NO. >>
>> NO. >> THERE IS A NONSTOP SEARCH
FOR MADDOX RITCH RIGHT NOW. 4@
WANDERING AWAY FROM CARETAKERS
IS ONE OF THE GREATEST DANGERS
FACING CHILDREN WITH AUTISM.
STORIES LIKE THIS ONE ARE WAY
TOO COMMON.
TOO COMMON. >> Reporter:4@ I BET THAT YOU 4@
KNOW SOMEONE WHO HAS A CHILD
WITH AUTISM.
WITH AUTISM. AND YOU KNOW WHAT THOSE
MILLIONS OF PARENTS ARE
THINKING ABOUT RIGHT NOW?
HOW TO KEEP THE KIDS HAPPY.
HOW TO KEEP THEIR KIDS HEALTHY.
AND HOW TO KEEP THEIR KIDS SAFE.
DOCTORS SAY ONE OF THE BIGGEST
DANGERS FOR CHILDREN WITH
AUTISM IS WANDERING.
HERE IS THE PROBLEM.
NOT ENOUGH PARENTS KNOW ABOUT
THE RISK OR HOW TO 4@STOP IT.
FRIDAY ALREADY HAS THE HEART TO
BE A GREAT SWIMMER.
STILL, PART OF THE NEXT
CHALLENGE.
CHALLENGE. >> HE IS ON THE SPECTRUM. 4@
IT WASN'T UNTIL BOTH HE AND HIS
BROTHER WERE IN THIS PROGRAM4@
THAT IT ALLOWED ME TO REALLY
SEE HOW WE SHOULD AP4@PROACH
TEACHING THEM.
TEACHING THEM. >> Reporter: AT THE SPORTS PLUS
THE SWIM CLASS INSTRUCTORS HELP
CHILDREN WITH AUTISM 4@LEARN TO
SWIM, LESSONS THAT ARE
ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT FOR KIDS
ON THE AUTISM SPECTRUM.
SPORTS PLUS WAS STARTED 11
4@YEARS AGO.
4@YEARS AGO. >> THERE ARE GOING TO BE
ATTRACTED TO THE WATER.
THEY MAY BE ATTRACTED TO WATER
AND NOT THINK ABOUT ANY 4@DANGE
OF GO4@ING INTO THE WATER.>>
Reporter: MARY HAS LIVED
THROUGH THE PANIC OF A CLOSE
CALL WITH WATER.
>> FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE THIS IS
PROBABLY A PEACEFUL AREA, A
PLACE FOR THOUGHT.
THIS PLACE FOR ME IS MY
NIGHTMARE.
NIGHTMARE. >> Reporter: THIS IS THE FIRST
TIME SHE HAS SET FOOT IN THIS
PARK IN GERMANTOWN SINCE HER
LIFE ALMOST CHANGED FOREVER.
THE MEMORIES HERE ARE STILL TOO
HORRIFYING.
HORRIFYING. >> THE WIND WAS WHIPPING.
IT WAS REALLY, REALLY COLD THAT
DAY.
DAY.
DAY. >>
DAY. >> Reporter: IN EARLY MARCH
2017 HER DAUGHTER WAS HOME WITH
A BABYSITTER WHILE MARY WAS AT
WORK.
WORK.
WORK. A
WORK. A CLOSE WATCH WAS CRITICAL.
SHE 4@WAS SEVEN YEARS OLD AND
LIVING WITH AUTISM.
>> AT THAT TIME SHE COULD NOT
TALK AT ALL.
>> Reporter: AROUND NOON, HER 4@
PHONE RANG, AND HER HEART
STARTED RACING.
STARTED RACING. >> I GOT A CALL FROM MONTGOMERY
COUNTY POLICE THAT SHE WAS
MISSING.4@
MISSING.4@ I IMMEDIATELY WENT INTO A
PANIC.
PANIC.
PANIC. >>
PANIC. >> Reporter: SHE HAD WANDERED
OFF ALONE, A FRANTIC SEARCH
BEGAN.
BEGAN.
BEGAN. >>
BEGAN. >> ALL I COULD THINK ABOUT IS
HER BEING OUT THERE.
I KNEW SHE DID NOT HAVE A JACKET
BECAUSE IT WAS STILL HUNG OUT.
>> Reporter: AFTER MORE THAN AN
HOUR, THEY CALLED MARY TO LET
HER KNOW A POLICE OFFICER HAD
FOUND HER DAUGHTER.
SHE WAS FACEDOWN IN WATER,
HYPOTHERMIC AND CLOSE TO DEATH.
>> HER BODY 4@WAS SHAKING. I
REALLY THOUGHT SHE WAS DYING.
IN MY ARMS.
I CRIED4@. I BEGGED FOR HER TO
OPEN HER EYES. 4@
I KEPT SAYING IT IS ME MOMMY,
OPEN YOUR EYES.4@
>> Reporter: FORTUNATELY,
POLICE RESCUED HER IN TIME.
NOW SHE IS VIBRANT AND
CHEERFUL.
CHEERFUL.
CHEERFUL. SHE IS RECOVERED COMPLETELY.
>> WE4@ LIVED IN THAT HOUSE FOR
FIVE YEARS.
FIVE YEARS. SHE HAS NEVER OPENED THAT FRONT
DOOR OR WALKED 4@OUT.
EVER.4@
EVER.4@
EVER.4@ >> Reporter: DID YOU KNOW THAT
WAS A RISK?
>> I DID NOT KNOW.
>> Reporter: A STUDY PUBLISHED4
SHOWED UP TO HALF OF CHILDREN
SURVEYED WANDERED AWAY AT LEAST
SHOWED UP TO HALF OF CHILDREN SURVEYED WANDERED AWAY AT LEAST@
ONCE AFTER AGE 4. THE REPORT
REVEALED ANOTHER STARTLING
TREND, HALF OF PARENTS SAID NO
ONE HAD OFFERED THEM ANY
GUIDANCE ON HOW TO ADDRESS OR 4@
PREVENT THE BEHAVIOR.
CATHERINE WILLIAMSON IS AN
OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST AT
CHILDREN'S NATIONAL HOSPITAL IN
NORTHWEST D.C. SHE WORKS WITH
CHILDREN WITH AUTISM LIKE DAVID.
>> 4@IT IS HARD TO TELL4@ WHAT
WOULD BE TO OVERSTIMULATING.
HE MAY BE IN TUNE TO SOMETHING
THAT NONE OF US ARE PAYING
ATTENTION TO.
ATTENTION TO. TRACK4@ --
TRACK4@ -- >> Reporter: HE IS LEARNING HOW
TO CONTROL EMOTION BY
IDENTIFYING WHAT OVERWHELMS HIM
AND PROMPTS HIM TO RUN AWAY.
>> HE IS SENSITIVE TO LOUD
NOISES.
NOISES.
NOISES. >> I 4@COVER MY EARS.
IF I HEAR A LOUD TOILET
FLUSHING I COVER MY EARS.
>> Reporter: --
>> 4@THIS SUMMER WE HAD FIVE
CLOSE CALLS.
CLOSE CALLS. >> Reporter: THIS MONTGOMERY
COUNTY POLICE OFFICER FINDS
CHILDREN WITH AUTISM WANDERING
AWAY.
AWAY.
AWAY. SHE
AWAY. SHE SAYS HER AGENCIES SEARCHES
FOR CHILDREN WITH AUTISM BETWEEN
TWO AND FIVE TIMES A WAY.
>> NO FEAR OF CONSEQUENCES, MAY
NOT RESPOND WHEN SPOKEN TO.
>> MY BIGGEST FEAR IS HAVING A
TRAGEDY.
TRAGEDY.
TRAGEDY. >> Reporter: MARY HAS A MESSAGE
FOR OTHER PARENTS OF CHILDREN
WITH AUTISM.
WITH AUTISM. >> REACH OUT TO YOUR NEIGHBORS.
WITH AUTISM. >> REACH OUT TO YOUR NEIGHBORS.@
LET THEM KNOW THAT YOU HAVE AN
AUTISTIC CHILD.
AUTISTIC CHILD. IF THEY SEE THE CHILD OUTSIDE,
AND THERE IS NOBODY WITH HIM,
TO CALL THE POLICE. 4@
>> Repor4@ter: THE OFFICER SAYS
NOT ENOUGH PARENTS ARE CALLING
911 WHEN CHILDREN WANDER AWAY.
SHE SAYS THAT CALL IS CRITIC4@A
IT IS THE ONLY WAY TO MAKE SURE
SHE SAYS THAT CALL IS CRITIC4@A IT IS THE ONLY WAY TO MAKE SURE@
CANINES COME OUT, HELICOPTERS
FLY AND OFFICERS HIT THE GROUND
TO BRING THAT CHILD HOME SAFELY.
AS FOR MARY, SHE PUT CHILDPROOF
DEVICE4@S IN HER HOME TO MAKE
SURE THIS NEVER HAPPENS AGAIN.
IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT
WHAT TO DO IF YOU SEE A CHILD
WHO SEEMS TO BE WANDERING
ALONE, REACH OUT TO ME, OR WE
HAVE INFORMATION ON OUR
WEBSITE.>>> MARY ALSO TELLS US @
THAT SHE RECENTLY BOUGHT A GPS
DEVICE FOR HER DAUGHTER TO
TRACK HER IN CASE SHE WANDERS
AWAY AGAIN.
AWAY AGAIN. FOR MORE ON HOW TO KEEP OUR
CHILDREN SAFE, WE WILL HAVE
INFORMATION FOR YOU ON OUR