Son with autism elopes, reminds parents to remain vigilant
The Autism News | English
Yesterday, my youngest son Ian , my strong, healthy, insightful, incredibly loving second-born , turned eight years old.
He had requested a Lego-themed birthday party at home, and we happily obliged. Our home was filled with classmates, close friends, and grown-ups who treaded carefully on our Lego-covered floors (seriously, is there anything worse than stepping on those sneaky little suckers?).
There was way too much sugar, the perfect amount of laughter, and a giant stack of presents waiting to be feverishly opened by an impatient little boy who kept asking when he could tear into the pretty wrapping paper.
“Is it time?”
“No.”
“Now?”
“No.”
“How about now?”
The house was a mess, the kids were loud and high on sugar, and the adults looked like they wished they didn’t have to spend yet another Saturday celebrating the birth of someone else’s child.
In other words, it was everything a successful birthday party should be.
Until it happened.
While chatting with a friend, I turned my head toward Andrew, my nine year old non-verbal son with severe autism, who up until that point had been sitting just a few short feet from me in the crowded living room.
Instead, in his place was an empty space and so I began to scan the room.
A few seconds passed, and when I still couldn’t find him, I rose from my seat and headed towards the kitchen. It was then that I noticed the front door was open and the makeshift gate we always use to block our driveway during these gatherings had been taken down.
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