A non-profit representing Canadians with autism says better emergency alert systems for missing vulnerable people are needed after the death of a Calgary boy.
Police found the body of 11-year-old Parker on Wednesday afternoon in a labyrinth of water pipes under the city, nearly two weeks after he was first reported missing from a northside day home.
There was a massive search for the boy, who had autism and was non-verbal, that saw hundreds of officers and volunteers scour city blocks and play his favourite Disney songs to try to draw him out.
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The search also raised questions about how to alert the public when vulnerable children disappear.
The National Autism Network says emergency alert systems and first-responder training need “urgent change” for vulnerable children and their families.
A group of mothers has also started petitions urging officials to launch similar broad outreach emergency messages for categories that include neurodivergent children.
“The National Autism Network will be creating space in the coming days for Autistic people, families, professionals and communities to share stories, identify solutions and help shape real change,” the group said in a news release Wednesday.
“No child should be lost because the world does not yet know how to find them.”
Why cant a GPS wrist band be used on autistic sufferes…I,m sure the federal government can afford to pay for for this.Government sends millions to places like Ukraine….Wake up people.
It’s their fault… RIP PARK
What about the DAYCARE?
Would it be a good idea for these children amd adults to have a medical bracelet and perhaps some tracking device for wanderers?
Very sad. I’ll assume he had a phone that was lost or stolen. Someone else mentioned GPS in shoes
My condolences to the family.
RIP Parker.
For the price one or more Airtag attached on him/clothes, it would have been a great way to keep track of his whereabout
I agree the Amber alert should have been issued right away. Some changes definatly need to be made.
Do people realize how often these situations happen where someone goes missing from a day home or an agency? Our phones will be going off so often that it will be far exceed our own notifications and people will not read them sadly. I agree with other commenters that tracking devices and perhaps stricter rules around notifying parents and/or police sooner is what is needed. This kind of system, while it has good intentions, would not work because it would be going off probably at least 20 times per day for Calgary alone.
Best way to put a tracking device on them.
My non-verbal autistic son has 4 gps locators on his shoes, clothes and schoolbag… about $20 each – this is our worst nightmare and I feel great empathy for this family. Please be proactive and figure out a way to protect your children as best you can folks.
Why not leave it up to the parents? All for safety nets but not much can be done about stuff like this outside of the home.
Why not is considered suspicious
@Dave. The National Autism Network? Are you for real?
Yes, yes… Let’s have at least one alert per day. And put it across all of Alberta. After all, the rest of simply cannot get enough of Alerts that we technically can do nothing about.
I like @ Jimbo’s idea of tagging them. Do not even need an Alert then. The parents will always know where the child is.
Sew an AirTag into their clothing and set a geo-fence, so you get an alert when they go beyond it.
Low life trash exploiting the death of a child in order to further their own agenda .