When Jeff was 5yo, my parents woke one day to a beautiful – and beautifully silent – spring morning. This was a welcome reprieve. Feff’s behaviors had been worsening/escalating. Living in a constant state of sensory overload, he would scream, cry, and aggress over things most of us would never notice. The night before was particularly bad. No matter what my mom tried, Feffs was inconsolable. Over-extended and overwrought, she eventually had to tap out, retreating to her room to cry out her frustration. No matter what she and my dad did, it never seemed to be enough for their little guy.

Fast-forward to that lovely dawn. I was a (totally precious) newborn at the time. My dad woke/brought me into my mom to nurse while he went to grab the paper. The front door was wide open. His mind raced. He ran to check bedrooms. Both Jeff’s and Katie’s were empty. He ran to see if any nuggets were snuggled in next to my mom - Katie was. Jeff was gone. Cue: Panic mode. My parents turned the house upside down, checking every closet, under every bed - every possible hiding spot - to no avail. Heart Attack City.

They made that excruciating call to the police. Relief isn’t a strong enough word for the emotions they experienced when the woman on the other end said she was pretty sure they had found their kid. Wearing nothing but his Superman underwear, Feffs had made his way to the scene of a bachelor party a few blocks away. The guys thought they heard something strange out front and, upon investigation, found my sweet shirtless brother swinging away at their door. They assumed he was deaf/called the police, who took him to Cedars Home for Children while attempting to locate his fam. 

My main takeaway from this story is…I don’t know how the nickname “Sleepwalking Swinger” never stuck for Feffs, but I’m definitely attempting to bring that one back.

My other main takeaway is that wandering is a very common/very scary thing with autistic kids/adults. There are SO many things to be aware of as a parent. That's one area where I've seen Autism Speaks be particularly helpful to newbies. 

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