Introducing the OWEN ALERT Act: A Lifesaving Emergency Response for Children with Autism and Developmental Disabilities Who Wander, Elope, Go Missing

Dear Members of Congress,

My name is Brina Dutton, and I come before you not only as a devoted autism advocate, but as a mother who has lived through every parent’s worst nightmare. My son, Owen, was just three years old when he disappeared from our home. One moment, he was safe and playing. The next—gone. Owen, who is autistic and developmentally delayed, had silently wandered away, drawn to something only he understood. We were incredibly fortunate that I found him in time. But not every story ends like mine. Too many families are forced to live with the unthinkable. And even more tragically, too many of those children do not come home.

Children with developmental disabilities, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and other cognitive impairments are disproportionately at risk of elopement, or wandering from safe environments. These are not isolated incidents. This is a widespread, deeply dangerous, and often fatal crisis—one that is quietly occurring in communities across the nation.

According to the National Autism Association, 49% of children with autism will attempt to wander at some point—four times the rate of their neurotypical peers. Among children with other developmental delays, including intellectual disability, global developmental delay, and genetic conditions like Down syndrome and Fragile X syndrome, wandering behavior is also highly prevalent. Yet, we have no federal emergency alert system designed to address the unique and time-sensitive nature of these cases.

We have AMBER Alerts for abducted children and Silver Alerts for missing older adults with cognitive impairments, but no such system exists for vulnerable children with developmental disabilities, even though many of these children are nonverbal, unable to respond to their names, and attracted to hazards such as water or traffic. The result is a tragic gap in our public safety infrastructure—one that continues to cost lives.

That’s why we are proposing the OWEN ALERT Act—named in honor of my son, and in recognition of the thousands of children like him who are at risk each day. This legislation would establish a federal emergency response protocol, similar to AMBER and Silver Alerts, specifically for children with developmental disabilities who are reported missing. The OWEN ALERT system would:

Trigger immediate multi-agency notification to local law enforcement, first responders, and the public when a qualifying child goes missing.
Leverage existing infrastructure (highway signs, text alerts, mobile notifications) to disseminate information quickly.
Provide training and guidance for emergency personnel on how to approach and communicate with children with developmental or cognitive impairments.
Create a national database to support coordinated response efforts across jurisdictions;
Increase public awareness about the risks of wandering and how to help locate and protect these children.
This is not just a policy issue—it’s a public safety issue. It’s a moral issue. According to recent CDC reports, one in six children in the United States has a developmental disability. That’s approximately 7 million children—many of whom may, at any point, be at risk of wandering and harm. In 2023 alone, the National Autism Association documented multiple fatalities involving children who drowned, were struck by vehicles, or were exposed to the elements—all after wandering from home, school, or a caregiver.

These tragedies are not inevitable. They are preventable. With the right tools, rapid alerts, and informed community response, we can give families the fighting chance they deserve.

The OWEN ALERT Act is not about creating new systems from scratch—it’s about enhancing what already exists to include and protect some of our nation’s most vulnerable children. It’s about ensuring that when a child with a developmental or cognitive disability disappears, we respond as quickly and urgently as we would for any other child—because they are just as precious, just as deserving of protection, and just as likely to be lost without it.

On behalf of Owen, and the countless children like him, I am asking you to take action. Support the OWEN ALERT Act. Give families like mine the reassurance that when every second counts, our government and our communities will move swiftly to bring our children home.

Thank you for your time, your compassion, and your commitment to keeping all children safe.

Sincerely,

Brina Dutton
Founder & Executive Director, The Owen Foundation
Mother to Owen – The Inspiration Behind this Movement
brina@theowenfoundation.org | theowenfoundation.org