By JOLENE OGLE
“IT’S like getting your heart ripped out.”
That’s how it felt for Judith Anschutz when she realised her eight-year-old autistic daughter, Frances, had run from home.
“You frantically search the house, panic, call the police and then jump in the car and drive around,” she said.
Known as eloping or wandering, running away is a common symptom for people diagnosed with autism, but that doesn’t make it any easier for the parents left to frantically search for their children.
Frances, whose speech is still developing, has eloped four times.
She was once found walking down the middle of the street, another time she ran in front of a garbage truck, and the most recent time she was found by Sunshine Butterflies founder Leanne Walsh at the now deserted Tewantin TAFE campus.
“It was terrifying,” Leanne said.
“We were lucky to find her safe, but it could have been a much more tragic day.”
Judith says she is vigilant at home, double locking every door, but a split second can see Frances slip out the side door and onto the street.
“Frances is a happy spirit. She loves to get out in the world and explore,” Judith said.
“She likes to go on an adventure and I guess because it can be so hard to communicate what she wants and where she wants to go that she just takes herself.”
But Judith said she needed help and had applied for a Smart Pup – a Labrador or Retriever dog, which is specially trained to help children who suffer from seizures or have been diagnosed with autism.
Smart Pup founder Patricia McAlister says the dogs are trained for 12 months, and can help children who elope by becoming an anchor when the child is tethered to the dog, or by alerting the parents or carers if the child has or is going to elope.
Ms McAlister said Smart Pups had already placed more than 30 assistance dogs throughout Australia, but with 500 applications currently pending and a price tag of $25,000, it could be a long wait for an assistance dog.
Judith said she had already been approved for an assistance dog for Frances, but needed to raise a further $16,500 to purchase the Smart Pup.
“An assistance dog can be trained to track Frances. So when she elopes, she can be tracked and the dog will stay with her to make sure she is safe,” Judith said.
“The dog will also let me know if Frances has or is going to elope.”
For Judith, a Smart Pup can help save her daughter’s life, but public education can also play an important role.
“I just want everyone to know about eloping and to be alert if they see a child running down the street alone,” she said.
Judith said she never knew about eloping until Frances first ran away, and said being prepared by providing the police with a current photo could make all the difference in finding a child.
“They say the first hour is the most important for survival,” Judith said.
If you want to help Judith and Francis get a Smart Pup, donations are welcome through the Sunshine Butterflies website, www.sunshinebutterflies.com.au/personalfundraising.
