Why @xtremeparnthood Encourages a Wandering Emergency Plan

When I saw a Tweet come across my feed yesterday, I immediately read it. It was from Sunday of @xtremeparnthood fame and she blogged about how her son was missing at school and she encouraged all families at risk to have a Wandering Emergency Plan. The thought never occured to me when we could have used it a few years ago when my son was at the height of his depression and disconnection couldn’t be left alone for fear of wandering.

As he told me what had happened I stood there with my mouth wide open in disbelief.  Apparently Noah’s 1:1 aide escorted him to the bus as he does every afternoon and as he began walking back into the school.  Because this aide does not work with Sam in his classroom he didn’t realize Sam was supposed to be there.  What is even more amazing is that the boys ride a different bus in the afternoon than the one in the morning.  For all our bus driver knew Sam may have been absent from school yesterday and just drove away none the wiser headed for his regular route.

But thank God he didn’t.

Instead he yelled back to the aide that he was missing Sam and was he in school that day?  At that moment Noah’s teacher (who was also Sam’s teacher last year) walked outside the school and noticed what was happening.  She promptly walked back into the school and began searching the rooms of the school for Sam.

Please go and read the rest of Sunday’s post. Consider making a plan if your child is at risk.