A Guide to Wandering
Positive strategies for safety, understanding, and support.
What is Wandering?
Wandering, also known as elopement, occurs when an individual leaves a safe, supervised area without notice. This can lead to potentially harmful situations.
It's more than just "walking off" — it's a complex behaviour with a purpose.
Risks can include traffic accidents, getting lost, or exposure to environmental dangers.
Understanding the "Why" Behind Wandering
To effectively manage wandering, we must first understand its function. Wandering is a form of communication. The person might be expressing:
- 🏃 Sensory Seeking: The need for physical input, like the feeling of running, the wind, or exploring different textures and sights.
- 🚫 Escaping Overload or Demands: Fleeing from noisy, crowded, or brightly lit environments, or trying to avoid a difficult or non-preferred task.
- 🎯 Goal-Oriented Action: Trying to get to a favorite place (like a park or train station), a specific person, or a desired item (like a snack from a nearby shop).
- 🗣️ Communicating Unmet Needs: Signaling boredom, hunger, thirst, a need for the toilet, or physical pain when other communication methods aren't available.
- 🧭 Confusion or Disorientation: Feeling lost, even in familiar surroundings, or being unaware of boundaries due to cognitive challenges.
- 🕰️ Following Past Routines: Acting on a deeply ingrained habit, such as attempting to travel to a former home, school, or workplace.
How a Behaviour Support Practitioner Can Help
A Behaviour Support Practitioner (BSP) plays a vital role in developing a Positive Behaviour Support Plan. They use a systematic process to create safe and effective strategies.
Assessment & Data Collection: Conduct a Functional Behaviour Assessment (FBA), interviewing carers, observing the person, and using tools like ABC charts (Antecedent-Behaviour-Consequence) to pinpoint triggers and patterns.
Develop a Hypothesis: Based on the data, the BSP forms a hypothesis about the function of the wandering. For example: "Leo wanders from the classroom to escape loud noises and seek a quiet space."
Create a Multi-Component Plan: The BSP designs a plan that includes proactive strategies (what to do before wandering occurs), skill-building, and reactive strategies (what to do if it happens).
Training & Implementation: The BSP trains family and support staff on how to consistently implement the plan, use communication tools, and respond safely.
Real-World Scenarios & Solutions
Scenario 1: The Afternoon Escape
The Situation: Maya, a non-verbal child, often tries to run out the front door when her dad gets home from work.
BSP's Approach:
- Hypothesis: Maya is trying to get to a preferred activity (going to the park) and is seeking her dad's attention.
- Proactive Strategy: A visual schedule is placed by the door showing "Dad home," then "Snack time," then "Park." This makes the routine predictable.
- Skill Building: Maya is taught to bring her dad a picture card of the park to ask to go, replacing the need to run out the door.
- Safety Plan: A chime is installed on the front door to alert carers if it opens unexpectedly.
Scenario 2: The Supermarket Wanderer
The Situation: Sam, a teenager, frequently wanders away from his mum in the crowded supermarket.
BSP's Approach:
- Hypothesis: The supermarket is a sensory overload (bright lights, noises). Sam is wandering to escape the overwhelming environment.
- Proactive Strategy: Before shopping, Sam is offered noise-cancelling headphones. The shopping trip is kept short and focused.
- Skill Building: Sam is taught to use a "break" card when he feels overwhelmed, signalling he needs to go to a quieter area of the store or outside.
- Safety Plan: Sam wears a bright red jacket, making him easy to spot. His mum has a recent photo on her phone ready.
A Two-Pronged Approach to Management
Proactive Strategies
These aim to meet the person's needs *before* they feel the urge to wander. (More examples below)
- Sensory Engagement: Schedule regular, safe activities like running in a fenced park, swimming, or using indoor gym equipment.
- Meaningful Activities: Reduce boredom by filling the day with engaging tasks and hobbies tailored to their interests.
- Clear Communication: Implement and teach the use of tools like picture exchange systems (PECS) or communication apps.
- Predictable Schedules: Use visual timetables to create a structured and calming daily routine.
- Social Stories™: Create simple stories with pictures to explain why it's important to stay with a carer in public places.
- Offer Choices: Provide choices throughout the day (e.g., "Do you want to play inside or outside?") to give the person a sense of control.
Safety Planning
These are essential measures to protect the individual if an elopement occurs. (More examples below)
- Secure the Environment: Install high-quality locks, door/window alarms, and secure fencing around outdoor areas.
- Wearable IDs: Use ID bracelets, shoe tags, or GPS tracking devices to provide contact information and location.
- Community Plan: Inform trusted neighbours and prepare an info pack with a current photo and description for first responders.
- Teach Safety Skills: Where possible, teach the individual their name, address, and how to find help from a trusted adult.
- Create a Response Plan: Have a written plan detailing who to call and where to search first (e.g., nearby parks, shops, bodies of water).
- Alert Local Authorities: Introduce the individual to local police or community officers during non-emergency times to build familiarity.
Response Strategies: What Support Workers Should Do
If wandering occurs, the immediate response is crucial for safety. The goal is to de-escalate and guide the person back to safety without causing further distress.
- Stay Calm: Your calm presence is reassuring. Avoid yelling or showing panic, as this can increase the person's anxiety and speed.
- Use a Neutral, Calm Tone: Speak slowly and clearly. Avoid demands like "Stop!" or "Come back now!". Instead, use gentle invitations like, "Hey, let's go this way," or "I see you're walking, can I walk with you?".
- Approach Slowly and from the Side: A direct, fast approach can be perceived as threatening. Give the person space.
- Prioritise Safety Over Correction: Your first job is to prevent harm. Shadow the person from a safe distance to block them from dangers like traffic, then focus on redirection.
- Redirect to a Preferred Item or Activity: Instead of focusing on stopping the wandering, redirect their attention. "Oh, I remember we were going to listen to your favourite music. Let's go do that."
- Validate and Empathise: Acknowledge their potential goal. "It looks like you want to go to the park. The park is closed now, but we can go tomorrow. Let's look at the schedule."
- Never Physically Grab or Restrain (Unless of Imminent Danger): This can escalate the situation and destroy trust. Follow organisational policy on restraint, which should only be a last resort to prevent serious harm.
Essential Components of a Behaviour Support Plan (BSP)
A high-quality BSP for wandering should be comprehensive, person-centered, and actionable. A practitioner must include:
- Clear Operational Definition: Exactly what does "wandering" look like for this person? (e.g., "Any instance of moving more than 10 meters from a support worker without permission in an unfenced area.")
- Functional Assessment Findings: A summary of the data and the final hypothesis about why the behaviour is occurring.
- Proactive Strategies: Detailed environmental and lifestyle changes to reduce the motivation to wander before it starts.
- Skill-Building Goals: Specific, measurable goals for teaching replacement behaviours (e.g., communication, tolerating delays, asking for breaks).
- Response (Reactive) Strategies: A clear, step-by-step guide for carers on to respond safely and consistently when wandering happens.
- Data Collection & Review Schedule: A plan for how to track the behaviour and a set schedule (e.g., monthly) to review the plan's effectiveness and make data-driven adjustments.
- Crisis Management Plan: Instructions for what to do in a high-risk elopement scenario, including who to contact (family, police) and what information to provide.