Tampa St. Petersburg, FL, August 22, 2026 —

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), in partnership with the Department of Justice and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), has initiated the first-ever National Autism Missing and Endangered Person Alert initiative. This program is designed to enhance the national strategy for responding to and coordinating efforts when individuals with autism go missing.

A primary objective of this initiative is to reduce the number of accidental drownings and other fatalities that can occur due to elopement, which is the term used for individuals leaving a safe environment without permission. The program intends to establish a set of national best practices for both emergency response and preventative measures related to missing autistic persons.

The initiative will encourage state and local governments across the nation to adopt this newly established framework for responding to missing persons cases involving individuals with autism. By promoting a standardized approach, the program aims to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of search and rescue operations.

In the event that an autistic individual goes missing, families are advised to contact emergency services by calling 911 immediately. The program also suggests that parents and caregivers of children who are prone to wandering consider utilizing tracking devices as a precautionary measure.

Further details regarding the specific components of the national best practices and the timeline for state and local adoption were not immediately available. The collaborative effort between HHS, the Department of Justice, and FEMA underscores a commitment to addressing a critical safety concern for a vulnerable population.



Story summarized from the original created by Justin Boggs on www.tampabay28.com, see more information here.

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