My name is Whitney, and I am a mother of a 5-year-old son who has level 3 autism, and is non-verbal. Like many with autism or other developmental disabilities, my son elopes and does not recognize danger. 

I ask for your support in signing a petition urging our local lawmakers to implement an Indigo Alert for when vulnerable children go missing across the United States.  An 11-year-old non-verbal autistic boy, Parker Wells, eloped from a Calgary home in July 2026. No alert went out for two days. That's the delay the Indigo Alert would close. The danger existed from the moment Parker went missing. Parker’s body was found 13 days later in a drainage pipe.

This is far too common in the United States. According to the National Autism Association,  up to 50% of children with autism attempt to elope from a safe environment, and on average, 8 autistic children die each MONTH from elopement-related incidents. 

Current Amber Alerts are crucial for finding missing children, but they do not specifically address the unique challenges faced by children with special needs who may not fit the criteria for an Amber Alert. This is why I am calling on lawmakers to create and implement an Indigo Alert system. An Indigo Alert would serve as a complementary system to the Amber Alert, specifically designed to locate vulnerable individuals like my son, like Parker, and like countless others. This new system would allow law enforcement and communities to respond more quickly when someone with autism, dementia, or similar conditions goes missing. Time is critical, and every minute saved in mobilizing a search can make a significant difference in finding them safe and sound.

Please support this effort to create an Indigo Alert, which would expand the Amber Alert system. Our country’s Amber Alert emergency system exists for one specific scenario: abduction. It's a vital tool, but people with autism, dementia, developmental disabilities, etc., that make them non-verbal or unable to recognize danger can go missing in a completely different way: no abduction, just a person alone near traffic, a pond, or in freezing weather. Under the current criteria, that situation may not trigger any alert at all. The 2025 Missing Endangered Persons (MEP) code expanded the Amber Alert, but still leaves a wide gap for those with developmental delays, in particular the non-speaking neurodivergent community. The Indigo Alert would close this gap. It means giving law enforcement a second, faster tool for a different emergency, one that current criteria doesn’t catch. 

Please sign this petition to urge United States lawmakers and authorities to amend the Amber Alert emergency system to add the Indigo Alert, and bring crucial changes that can save lives. Your support can make the change we need, and protect those who cannot protect themselves.