HHS launches the first national alert system for missing autistic children and adults
Why it matters
Wandering is one of the leading causes of preventable death for autistic children, most often by drowning. This is the first federal effort to give police and first responders a common playbook for those first critical minutes.
On August 21, 2026, in Rochester, Minnesota, Secretary Kennedy announced the National Autism Missing and Endangered Person Alert initiative, run by HHS with the Department of Justice and FEMA.
The program will coordinate emergency managers, law enforcement, first responders and community groups, and set national best practices to prevent wandering-related injuries and deaths. “When an autistic child or adult goes missing, every minute matters,” Kennedy said. Attorney General Todd Blanche and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin backed the effort.
HHS paired it with an Applied Behavior Analysis toolkit for state Medicaid programs and new HRSA clinical training.
Source
AJF reporting.
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