Candlelight Vigil for Autistic Children Who Have Lost Their Lives After Wandering

Today the autism community has decided to honor those children that have lost their lives after wandering.

 

 

This event is a virtual candlelight vigil to remember and respect the lives of autistic children who have died after an elopement.

The Kennedy Krieger Institute reported in a 2011 study that up to 48% of all children with autism will engage in wandering behavior or “elopement,” which is defined as the tendency to leave a non life threatening space and enter into a potentially dangerous one, and is a rate 4 times higher than their neurotypical siblings.

The Krieger Institute also reported that “35% of families with children who elope report their children are “never” or “rarely” able to communicate their name, address, or phone number by any means.”

In 2012, the National Autism Association reported that “accidental drowning accounted for 91% total U.S. deaths reported in children with an ASD ages 14 and younger subsequent to wandering/elopement.”

This vigil is being organized to spread awareness of the very real issue of wandering behavior in autistic children and the unspeakable tragedies that can, and have occurred as a result.

Please join us in respectful remembrance of the children who have died.

Information compiled by the organizer, Jill Smo, of Yeah. Good Times.

Kaitlin	Bacile
Au-Juna	Banks-Taylor		age 9
Ryan	Barrett
Christian	Baucom		age 6
Jason	Baucom
Adam	Benhamama
Owen	Black		age 7
Aiden	Bower		age 4
Ashley	Brock
Noah	Burke
Carolyne	Burns
Dena	Burns		age 6
John	Burton Jr.		age 7
Colum	Canning
Kaymania	Catt		age 5
Alex	Christopher	6/3/2005
Zachary	Clark
Jeremiah	Conn		age 6
Holden	Cottingham	2013
Taariq	Cross		age 7
Christian	Dejons
James	Delorey
David	DeSantiago		age 11
Devonte	Dye		age 5
Tatiana	Eiland-Clinton		age 3
Devine	Farrier
Justin	Gore Jr.
Darryl	Gosein
Anthony	Guerra		age 9
Tristian	Guffey
Liam	Hamilton		age 7
Elizabeth	Hathaway		age 10
Savannah	Hauser
Benjy	Heil
Jack	Hensley
Emily	Hope
Drew	Howell		age 2
Tristin	Jeras	7/26/2012
Aiden	Johnson
Marquail	Johnson		age 8
Jackson	Kastner		age 4
Kesia	Kearse
Nathan	Kinderdine
Michael	Kingsbury		age 7
Adlai	Kugblenu
Anthony	Kuznia		age 11
Bernard	Latimore
Aiden	Lawson		age 3
Kieran	le Couteur
Erik	Lippmann
Alexie	Loper		age 4
Mikaela	Lynch	5/15/2013
Charlie	Manley		age 16
Savannah	Martin	2/20/2011
Donivan	Martin		age 16
Savannah	Martin		age 7
Jared	McGuire
Mason	Medlam
Logan	Mitcheltree
Christopher	Morrison		age 5
Blake	Murrell		age 4
Alyvia	Navarro		age 3
Avonte	Oquendo		age 14
Dominic	Overton
Ariana	Pivacheck		age 9
Evan	Reed	2012
Hannah	Ross		age 7
Blake	Ryan	4/19/2011	age 4
Christina	Sankey		age 29
Luke	Selwyn
Nicholas	Shaffer		age 12
Kaleb	Shavers		age 6
Kadeem	Shillingford		age 15
Jonah	Smith
Julian	Stacey			New Zealand
Aaron	Steele
Travis	Stratton	3/1/2014	age 4
Kaliya	Sullivan
Sean	Taglione	1/29/2012	age 12
Desmond	Thomas
Kristina	Vlassenko		age 10
Christopher	Wakeman		age 23
Amarie	Walker		age 4
Skyler	Wayne
Freddie	Williams		age 13
Davin	Williams		age 15
NNR			age 5	Bradenton, FL
NNR			age 11	Stafford, VA
NNR			age 12	Houston, TX

90 children. These are the names we were able to compile on short notice, and is in no way comprehensive. The listings at the end with the initials NNR are children whose names weren’t released to the media.

 

Today is about remembrance. Please use the above photo as your social media avatar and share this day with us. Let today be the day that we stand together and quietly remember those we have lost.