The short version
- In a parent survey published in Pediatrics, 49% of children with autism had tried to leave a safe place after age 4, and 26% were missing long enough to cause concern. Of those missing, 24% were in danger of drowning and 65% of traffic injury.
- If your child is missing, call 911. Check water first.
- Colorado Life Trak, started by the Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office, gives a free wristband transmitter to people who tend to wander. The county's page says participants need a caregiver living with them. Call 720-874-3804.
- Aurora Police and the Adams, Arapahoe and Douglas sheriffs all appear on the state's list of agencies that support wandering technology. The state says programs change, so call the agency and ask what it offers.
- Aurora Reservoir has lifeguards only on set days and hours. Colorado state park beaches, including Cherry Creek, have no lifeguards on duty.
Autism wandering safety in Aurora works best in three layers: a home that is harder to leave, a plan for the first few minutes, and a response team that already knows your child. This guide covers each layer with the programs and water hazards that are specific to Aurora.
Information current as of October 2026. If your child is missing right now, call 911.
Why do so many autistic children wander?
A 2012 survey of parents in Pediatrics found that 49% of children with autism had tried to leave a safe place at least once after age 4. About 26% went missing long enough to worry their parents. Among those who went missing, 24% were in danger of drowning and 65% were in danger of traffic injury. (Pediatrics) The CDC reports the same pattern and adds that wandering most often starts from a home, a store, or a classroom. Common reasons include running to a favorite place, escaping stress, and exploring something interesting. (CDC)
Children usually run toward something or away from something. Knowing which one is the first step in planning.
What can I change at home this week?
The American Academy of Pediatrics and the CDC suggest these steps:
- Lock the doors that lead outside and keep them shut. Add alarms that sound when a door opens.
- Put your child’s name on clothing or a medical alert tag, and consider a GPS device. The CDC also suggests teaching your child to say a name and phone number or show ID, if that is realistic.
- Keep a current photo and a written description where you can find them in a hurry.
- Tell neighbors, school staff and local first responders that your child may run.
- Notice the triggers: water, parks, train tracks, loud or stressful places. Tell your child the plan before an outing.
- Use a “tag team” so one trusted adult always has eyes on your child.
- Treat poor sleep as a safety issue. The AAP suggests a regular sleep schedule and raising ongoing sleep problems with your pediatrician.
- Ask your pediatrician to help you write a family wandering emergency plan.
What do I do in the first minutes?
Call 911. The Colorado Bureau of Investigation’s wandering page says so at the top, and the Arapahoe County Life Trak page says the caregiver should call 911 right away. (CBI, Arapahoe County)
While you wait for officers, check water first. The AAP suggests keeping a list of nearby ponds, lakes and pools to search. For Aurora families, write down the retention ponds near your street, the neighbors’ pools, and the nearest creek. The AAP also lists the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children hotline, 1-800-THE-LOST.
If a missing person has a developmental disability and the disappearance is a credible threat to their safety or health, Colorado has a Developmental Disabilities Alert. The local agency verifies the disability and notifies CBI, which sends the information to participating media. (CBI)
Which tracking programs are near Aurora?
Colorado Life Trak. The Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office began it in 2004. Participants wear a wristband transmitter 24 hours a day. The county says the wristband is free and that the program is for people with disabilities who tend to wander, with autism listed among examples. Participants must have a caregiver living with them. If the person wanders, you call 911 and trained locators use receivers to find the transmitter’s signal. The program number is 720-874-3804. (Arapahoe County)
Other agencies. CBI keeps a non-exhaustive list of agencies that support wandering technology. It includes Aurora Police (303-739-6000), the Adams County Sheriff’s Office (720-322-1215), the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office and the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office (303-660-7544). CBI notes that programs and equipment change quickly and says the best way to learn what your local agency supports is to contact it directly. (CBI) Douglas County runs its own Colorado Life Trak program with a wristband transmitter, and its page says fees can be waived for financial hardship. (Douglas County)
The CBI list does not say which program each agency runs, so ask Aurora Police what it offers for your address. If your home is in the Adams or Douglas portion of the city, ask that sheriff too.
How safe is the water around Aurora?
Drowning was one of the two dangers most often reported in the Pediatrics study, and two local swim areas have different rules.
Aurora Reservoir. The swim beach season runs Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day. Lifeguards are on duty 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday, from Memorial Day weekend through early August, and again on Labor Day weekend. Lifeguards are not on duty Monday and Tuesday. After Labor Day through September 30, swimming is at your own risk with no lifeguards. Swimming stops during lightning and storms, and the swim area can close when bacteria levels are unsafe. (City of Aurora)
Cherry Creek State Park. The swim beach is open Memorial Day through Labor Day, and the park warns that low water can expose hazards swimmers do not expect. Children 12 and under must wear a life jacket on any vessel. (Colorado Parks and Wildlife) CPW’s water page says lifeguards are not on duty at state park beaches and tells visitors to ask their park about loaner life jackets. (CPW) The park page does not mention loaner life jackets, so call 303-690-1166 to ask what is available before you go.
At home. The AAP recommends a pool barrier at least four feet high with a self-closing, self-latching gate, plus door and pool alarms. It also says swim lessons alone do not prevent drowning, and suggests practicing in wet clothes and shoes for children who tend to wander. Ask your pediatrician about lessons that fit your child’s needs.
Does Medicaid or FSSP pay for safety equipment?
Public programs may help, but we found no state page that names GPS trackers or door alarms.
- CES waiver. It lists assistive technology and home accessibility modifications. The state defines home modifications as changes needed for health, welfare and safety. For CES, there is a combined $10,000 maximum over the 5-year waiver period for assistive technology, home accessibility and vehicle modifications, which can be exceeded with prior approval. (HCPF glossary, HCPF CES page)
- Family Support Services Program. In Arapahoe, Douglas and Elbert counties, Developmental Pathways lists assistive technology such as monitoring systems and sensory equipment, and home changes including safety adaptations. (Developmental Pathways)
- Health First Colorado ABA. The state’s behavioral therapy criteria name elopement as an example of a safety risk. The same criteria exclude safety monitoring services. (HCPF criteria)
Our respite care guide explains how to reach your county’s case management agency. Ask the case manager directly whether a specific device fits.
Where does ABA fit?
ABA does not replace locks and supervision. What it adds is an answer to why your child runs. The Council of Autism Service Providers says a functional assessment looks at where, when and the likely reasons a problem behavior happens, using caregiver interviews, rating scales and direct observation, and the result goes into a plan built around that reason. (CASP) A child who runs to reach a favorite place needs a different plan than one who runs to escape a loud room.
Our parent training sessions walk through a home plan, and in-home and community-based ABA let a BCBA practice stopping at doors and crossing parking lots where it happens. Talk to your pediatrician or BCBA about your child’s specific risk. Our guide to sensory-friendly places in Aurora can help you pick outings. We take all major insurance including Medicaid, have no waitlist and start families within two weeks of approval. Contact us.
Sources
- Pediatrics (2012), Occurrence and Family Impact of Elopement in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders
- CDC, Disability and Safety: Information on Wandering (Elopement)
- American Academy of Pediatrics, Autism Wandering Tips
- Colorado Bureau of Investigation, Colorado Areas Supporting Technology for Locating Persons Who Have Wandered
- Colorado Bureau of Investigation, Developmental Disabilities Alert
- Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office, Colorado Life Trak
- Douglas County Sheriff's Office, Colorado Life Trak
- City of Aurora, Aurora Reservoir swimming
- Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Water Activities
- Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Cherry Creek State Park highlights
- Colorado HCPF, Children's Extensive Support Waiver (CES)
- Colorado HCPF, Long-Term Services and Supports Benefits and Services Glossary
- Developmental Pathways, Family Support Services Program
- Colorado HCPF, Health First Colorado Criteria for Behavioral Therapies (November 2024)
- Council of Autism Service Providers, ABA Practice Guidelines (Version 3.0)