Not The Kind Of Flight You Want To Happen

 

by Jack Haynes

Do you have a nonspeaker that elopes? Let's discuss why it can happen and how to help. 

Elopement is a scary thing for everyone but most of all for us, the nonspeakers. We aren’t in control when it happens, our bodies just take off. There could be any number of triggers and that varies from person to person. It often happens for me when my sensory system is overstimulated. My body just needs to get out of there, even if my mind wants to stay. When it's too loud my body goes into flight mode. For some of my friends it is a loop that they are stuck in in certain environments. Maybe flight mode was triggered once there and now their anxiety is high in that environment and that puts them into flight mode again. It's terribly cyclical. Anxiety is common among nonspeakers. Sometimes we perseverate on wanting to do something and when we finally get our bodies moving, we can’t stop it. When you don’t have a ton of control over your body because of apraxia it is easy to get stuck in fight or flight. 

How can you help? Use a tracking system. Be prepared to help us regulate in overwhelming environments. You can use child locks on doors that lead outside. Practice purposeful motor skills with us all the time so we can gain more control over our bodies. Calmly coach or prompt us to stop our feet or turn ourselves around. We don't want to run or be lost because we can’t communicate with strangers. The more panicked we feel the worse it can get. Stay calm and clear headed for the best outcome.