House Bill No. 711 began as an idea from Dr. Tamara Moodie, principal of South Florida Autism Charter School: Creation of a public emergency notice about missing children and adults with autism spectrum disorder, similar to the Amber Alert for endangered kids or the Silver Alert for lost elders.
Moodie thought about the parents of her students who worry that their child could get hit by a car or hurt when they “elope,” or wander from safe locations or trusted adults.
Drowning can be a sad result of kids and adults wandering away.
Moodie presented her idea to Fla. Sen. Bryan Avila, which led to the new state law announced at the Hialeah campus on Aug. 8.
“This initiative I can tell you is for many of the reasons Dr. Moodie outlined, is going to be a difference maker,” Avila, R-Hialeah Gardens, said.
Called the Spectrum Alert, it became law on June 5.
When it goes into effect on July 1, 2026, emergency notifications about a missing person who may not be able to communicate will appear on media and cellphones and sent to first responders to launch a search or rescue.
The Autism Society of Florida reported that since 2021, 129 children with autism have died from drowning.
Florida ranked fifth in the nation for drowning deaths for children with autism, according to the bill. Until the Spectrum Alert becomes active there is time for coordination between the state’s Department of Law Enforcement, Department of Transportation, Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles and the development of the alert system and a training program for first responders.
“ … when this happens, I think it’s going to save a lot of lives,” Moodie said.
One concern is that well-meaning care inadvertently reinforces the behavior.
“We had one of my board member’s sons elope many years ago, and when the first responders found him, they gave him candy,” Moodie said.
The message the candy sent was that what the child did was OK and was a reward, or he may also think it’s a game when he’s told to stop running.
The school’s Board Member Jane Del Rio said it’s important that firefighters and police recognize adults who are on the spectrum, too.
“They may be hitting themselves, they may hit others,” Del Rio said. “It’s very important that they know these behaviors.”
The bill has $190,000 to implement the Spectrum Alert.
“Within the bill there is state funding allocated for our first responders so they’re able to deescalate a situation … and respond responsibly,” Avila told The Miami Laker.