Funds OKd for tracking autistic kids
GPS devices are made available to parents through a federal grant program.
NEW YORK — The tragic case of Avonte Oquendo, a 14-year-old with autism who was found dead three months after running away from school, prompted Justice Department officials to expand a program to help parents obtain tracking devices for children with autism.
The announcement last week means that federal grant funds, which already cover tracking devices for adults with Alzheimer’s dis- ease, will also apply to children with autism. Sen. Charles E. Schumer (DN.Y.), who had requested the funds, said the devices were available immediately for parents who wanted them.
Schumer also has proposed “Avonte’s Law,” a measure that would create a grant program specifically aimed at children with autism. It would allocate $10 million to the Justice Department for the program.
In a statement, Schumer said the department had “done the right thing” in extending grant money to cover children with autism but that Avonte’s Law still was needed.
With a tracking device, a parent, teacher or caregiver wanting to locate a child with autism could notify the company that provided the device. Using GPS technology, the company could dispatch emergency responders to track the wearer. The devices, which Schumer said would cost about $85 each, can be worn on the wrist or ankle or clipped to clothing.
Schumer, quoting figures from national autism organizations, said 49% of children or teenagers with autism tend to run away or wander, often having close calls if they drift into traffic or near water.
Avonte, who was nonverbal, was at school in Queens when he ran off Oct. 4 about 12:30 p.m. Video cameras captured him, unattended, running down a school corridor and going out a door that had been left open.
Police and the boy’s fami- ly launched a massive search with help from volunteers. The boy’s remains were found Jan. 16 in the East River.
Schumer’s proposal is not without skeptics. Some parents say their autistic children would yank off any device attached to them or their clothing. Others express worries about privacy if the government is funding the devices.
Ashley Parker, a spokeswoman for the Autism Society in Bethesda, Md., said such tracking devices were available through private companies and nonprofit groups. Schumer’s proposal would mark the first time federal funds had been used to pay for them.