Understand
Mother issues warning about autism elopement after toddler almost drowns in lake
Overview
Alex Price, the mother of a three-year-old autistic and non-verbal girl named Ayda, is raising awareness about autism elopement after her daughter escaped their Merseyside home in April 2024 and was found face-down in a lake. Ayda was resuscitated by paramedics, spent two days in a coma, and has since made a full recovery. Price highlights the lack of danger awareness in many autistic children and urges the public to avoid making cruel judgements against caregivers when elopement incidents occur.
Key points
- Three-year-old Ayda escaped her home in Thatto Heath, St Helens, and was found floating face-down in a lake in April 2024.
- Paramedics revived Ayda after she was without a pulse for a time, and she subsequently spent two days in a coma at Alder Hey Children's Hospital before making a full recovery.
- Mother Alex Price wants to increase awareness of 'autism elopement', where autistic children leave safe areas due to a lack of danger awareness.
- Price spoke out against cruel public judgements and online hate directed at caregivers during such incidents, noting that elopement can happen in a split second.