5 Year Old with Autism Wanders & Drowns in Jacksonville, Florida
Many years ago, Ginger Taylor started a Blogger blog called "Lives Lost To Autism." I was an admin with posting privileges. We posted news story after news story of drownings and other terrible, untimely, far too early deaths among those with autism. Mostly children. Autism has lost its blue sheen, replaced by gender issues, and of course Covid. But never, ever forget, AUTISM was causing breathing related deaths long before COVID showed up. National Autism Association has done more than any other organization to boost awareness of wandering. Such a simple word. "Wander." In autism, we know it by many names: bolting, elopement, abandonment, forgotten, distraction, and of course, a preternatural attraction to water.
God rest this beautiful boy's soul. And our condolences to his family. Most of know that it is indeed impossible to be on perfect alert 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Mohamad Nour. Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un.
JSO: 5-year-old boy with autism found dead in Jacksonville pond after being reported missing
April 25, 2021 at 1:03 pm EDT
By Aurielle Eady, Action News Jax
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A young boy with autism was found dead in a pond Sunday morning just hours after he was reported missing, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said.
The parents of Mohamad Nour, 5, called police just before 9 a.m. after they noticed he was gone.
Prior to him being reported missing, JSO said he was last seen at 6 a.m. by his family.
According to JSO, it is believed the boy unlatched the lock of the front door of his home and left.
Twenty-four hour a day children require a village. Too bad the village denies they exist.
Posted by: annie | April 26, 2021 at 10:54 PM
"It only takes 30 seconds"
So true! When my "wanderer" (high functioning) was about 3 years old, we went to our local pool for a dip. My kids always wore life vests in the pool and I was right there with them at all times. Unfortunately, he didn't yet have his vest on and as I was signing in, he darted to the pool and jumped in. Except he didn't know how to swim. I immediately ran to him and jumped in in my clothes. Thankfully it was the 3 ft end and I pulled him up before breathing became a problem.
After that, he was given swimming lessons. The emphasis was on making them "drown proof" and he became proficient at treading water in the deep end. In another incident, this skill saved his life. About six months later, after finishing the swim course, we went for a walk along a trail that followed a creek. My "wanderer" continually tried to get next to the edge of the creek bank and throw rocks in. We continually pulled him back and forbid this activity. Just when we were a little bit ahead of the "wanderer" and his autistic brother (two years older), this child made a dash to the edge of the creek- which happened to have become swimming hole depth after high rainfall. He picked up a rock and threw it and himself into the water. We would not have known what happened if his brother hadn't run to tell us that he had fallen in. We ran to the site and there he was, using his water treading skills to keep afloat. It just so happened that my spouse had excellent water safety instruction in college and used those skills to bring him to shore. I highly recommend that parents of autistic children have them trained to tread water if at all possible.
What happened to this precious five year old is so tragic. For the parents I pray that "the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." Phil 4:7
Posted by: Emmaphiladelphia | April 26, 2021 at 02:18 PM
How does the ND movement ignore drowning? Extreme violent behaviors/rages? Unemployable people with severe sensory issues? People who are nonverbal and can’t tolerate AAC devices? Socially impaired, high needs people with special diets?
Posted by: madness | April 26, 2021 at 02:07 PM
Been 21 years for our family loving and caring .. 24 hours a day ..EVERY DAY FOR THOSE 21 YEARS .. for our beloved now 21 year old .. non-verbal … son, grandson, brother, nephew, cousin, neighbor … and every time we read or hear of a tragedy like this our hearts break .. how many broken hearts can our worldwide community stand UNTIL THE WORLD'S ENTIRE PUBLIC HEALTH BUREAUCRACY OPENLY ADMITS THE EPIDEMIC OF AUTISM IS "MAN-MADE" .. FIND AND IDENTIFY THE "CAUSE" OF THE EPIDEMIC … IT CANNOT CONTINUE UNABATED FOREVER AND EVER.
STOP THE MADDNESS .. IT IS AN ONGOING CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY TO CONTINUE IGNORING AND DENYING THERE IS AN EPIDEMIC AND IGNORING WHAT THE CAUSE OF THAT EPIDEMIC IS.
Posted by: Bob Moffit | April 26, 2021 at 08:22 AM
This breaks my heart! Why O God? Why?
Prayers to this family and if anyone knows of a go fund me information for them please post. I read somewhere that we have more stress than a combat soldier/It's true. It only takes 30 seconds of not being on "Alert" all the time. A phone call/zoom meeting, an unlocked gate(forgotten by the yard folks) Keys left on the inside of the door/unlocking the deadbolt because all our doors have them now, because he figured out how to unlock doors 6 years ago. Phone numbers of all the neighbors in case they spot him running down the street. Oh Autism the people that have it are beautiful, but it can be scary as hell. Never wearing blue here. Blessings from Texas!
P.S
Pharma and your damaging products and the folks that shove them down our throats, your role in this tragedy does not go unnoticed.
Posted by: Gerardo Martinez | April 26, 2021 at 06:16 AM