Escambia Search and Rescue

Beginning July 1, 2026, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) will officially launch the Florida Spectrum Alert, a new statewide alert system designed specifically to help locate missing children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

This is tremendous news for Florida families and advocates who understand the unique dangers faced by children with autism who wander or elope from safe environments. Children with autism spectrum disorder are prone to wander, or elope, from safe environments at a much higher rate than their non-autistic peers. Elopement often results in tragedy, including fatal traffic accidents and drownings. Children with autism spectrum disorder are often drawn to bodies of water, which poses a unique risk in Florida due to the prevalence of water in the environment. According to the FDLE, children with ASD are significantly more likely to wander than their neurotypical peers, often placing them at risk of serious injury or death from traffic accidents and drowning incidents.

The need for this alert system is especially important in Florida, where lakes, rivers, retention ponds, canals, and swimming pools are commonplace. The Autism Society of Florida reports that drowning is the leading cause of death among children with autism and that children with ASD are approximately 160 times more likely to experience a drowning than their neurotypical peers.

The Florida Spectrum Alert was established through legislation signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2025. Its purpose is simple but critical: quickly mobilize the public and law enforcement agencies to locate and safely recover missing children with autism before tragedy occurs.

In announcing the program, FDLE Commissioner Mark Glass emphasized the importance of rapid response in missing child investigations, stating that the Spectrum Alert provides another valuable tool to get information to the public faster and help bring vulnerable children home safely.

To activate a Spectrum Alert, the following criteria must be met:

• The child must be under 18 years of age.
• Law enforcement must reasonably believe the child has autism spectrum disorder.
• Investigators must have a well-founded belief that the child is in danger of death or serious bodily injury.
• A detailed description and/or photograph of the child must be available for public distribution.
• The investigating law enforcement agency must recommend activation.

The state will also utilize an Enhanced Spectrum Alert investigators believe a child is in imminent danger of death or serious bodily injury. These alerts can trigger wireless emergency notifications sent directly to cell phones within a targeted geographic area where the child was last seen.

Families, advocates, first responders, and community members are encouraged to sign up for Spectrum Alert notifications through the FDLE Alert Notification Registration system. As always, anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of a missing child should immediately call 𝟵𝟭𝟭.

https://www.fdle.state.fl.us/mepic_old/home/sign-up-to-receive-alerts

This new alert system represents a major step forward in protecting some of Florida's most vulnerable children. Every second counts when a child goes missing, and the Florida Spectrum Alert will provide law enforcement and the public with another powerful tool to bring children home safely.

It is important to know that the Spectrum Alert is designed specifically for missing children under the age of 18 who have Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and are believed to be facing a serious threat to their safety.

This new alert does not replace the protections currently available for missing adults with disabilities.

The addition of the Spectrum Alert simply provides another tool to help law enforcement rapidly mobilize the public when a child with autism goes missing. Adults who qualify for a Purple Alert will continue to be protected under that existing alert system.