US HHS launches initiative for missing autistic individuals

U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has launched the National Autism Missing and Endangered Person Alert Initiative. The program aims to improve preparedness and response coordination among law enforcement, emergency management agencies, first responders, and community partners when autistic individuals are reported missing.

The initiative seeks to establish a national framework of best practices to address preventable injuries and deaths, specifically targeting risks associated with wandering and elopement, such as accidental drowning. HHS is collaborating with the Department of Justice and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to develop federal guidance and a standardized alert system for autism-related disappearances.

Under the new framework, local and state officials will retain the authority to decide when to activate federal alerts. The Department of Justice will also create specific procedures for law enforcement and first responders to better manage these incidents. This effort is part of a broader set of coordinated actions by HHS to improve safety, healthcare, and services for individuals with autism throughout their lives.