Half of autistic children 'wander and bolt'

Half of children with autism, who may require respite care, wander and bolt from safe places, a study has indicated.

Research by the Interactive Autism Network found that half of parents with children who have autism report that their child elopes.

This type of behaviour was found to reach its worst stage at the age of four.

Dr Paul Law, of the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore, said that the survey highlights the danger of elopement for the autism community.

"We hope that advocates and policy makers use this research to implement key safety measures to support these families and keep these children safe," he said.

In other news, treatment-resistant epilepsy has been found to be common among patients with idiopathic autism, who are likely to need respite care.

Moreover, delayed global development and an early age for the onset of seizures were linked to an increased frequency of resistance to antiepileptic drugs, according to the study published online in journal Epilepsia.

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