Saskatchewan autism advocate urges stronger safeguards after death of Calgary boy

The death of an 11-year-old autistic boy in Calgary has prompted renewed discussion in Saskatchewan about how to better protect vulnerable children.

On July 16, an 11-year-old non-verbal boy with autism wandered away from his day home and disappeared. After a massive search spanning several days, he was found dead July 28.

Read more:

• Mothers calling for changes to alert system amid search for Calgary boy with autism
• Flowers and teddy bears: Makeshift memorial started for 11-year-old Calgary boy
• ‘Infuriating’: Saskatoon parents say complex needs daughter regularly sent home early from school

According to police, his body was found in an underground network of pipes near one of the city’s major expressways after a bystander found the boy’s shoes near the mouth of a culvert.

Following the tragedy, many are now asking whether provinces are doing enough to protect their vulnerable children.

Alex Scott, family programs director with Autism Services of Saskatoon, said there are many lessons to be learned.

“We are working with a vulnerable population, and every child that we work with is completely different from the other child,” Scott said.

“It’s really just awareness and learning about how each of these children operate day to day, what their triggers might be, how they navigate their environment, and it’s up to us as professionals to put those preventative measures in place so we can ensure the integrity and safety of our program is upheld.”

Scott said extra care must be taken when going out into the community with vulnerable children.

“We have to have all eyes on our children and make sure that we’re scanning our environment and really being aware of each personal profile so we can prevent tragedies from happening,” Scott said.

When it comes to Saskatchewan, Scott said there are areas where the province could improve.

“When I get the notifications on my phone, it’s pretty standardized. I think when a vulnerable person goes missing, it would be a major benefit to clarify that they are a vulnerable person, or maybe they are on the autism spectrum,” Scott said

“That way, the community has a bit more knowledge about the situation and can be more effective in its search as well.”

Scott said autistic children who go missing can present additional challenges for search-and-rescue teams.

“They might not know where to go if they’re missing. So, in the case in Calgary, he went down to Deerfoot Trail, and there was some exploration involved,” Scott said.

“So it’s always anticipating the most unpredictable places to look because these kids have a mind of their own in some instances, and they might not know how to navigate their environment. So they look for what might appear to be comfortable, and sometimes that doesn’t work out from a safety perspective.”