Found Deceased NY - Avonte Oquendo, 14, Long Island City, 4 Oct 2013

[HauntsForHope]

voominvava---sorry-should have typed clearer---I was thinking of the girl who found him.-----would she have walked behind the fencing?????? I am not accusing her of course--just puzzling out loud.

One tiny glimmer of good guys---now some better controls will be in place for special needs kids. Maybe a GPS-type of bracelet?? Or am I being really reactionary????

I wondered that, about the fence, too.

GPS devices are already in use for autistic kids. It's just not affordable for most families. An excellent change in his honor would be if medical insurance paid for the gps tracking of autistic children. Or of the gov't subsidized it to make it affordable to everyone.

http://www.locationbasedgps.com/categories/Autism/

 

[matou]

Sadly, it is very likely an accident. My grandson is autistic and has no fear of the water at all. I've had to rescue him from the pool twice. He just walks right in, seeming to not know he will drown. It doesn't matter how many time I tell him. He's just drawn to it. I don't think Avonte suffered, they seem to react more curious than afraid. Poor Vanessa put her heart and soul into protecting Avonte all these years. No small task with all of the medical and educational issues. Losing him this way is just tragic.

I think it's the enveloping nature of water. The water holds and hugs them. The water changes how the world sounds. My nephew has severe autism and he's the same. He loves to splash and enter water. He will always need to be supervised around water, I fear.

 

[poppygirl]

So sad... prayers for his family. I can tell he was loved so much...what a horrible loss for them.

 

[matou]

I wondered that, about the fence, too.

GPS devices are already in use for autistic kids. It's just not affordable for most families. An excellent change in his honor would be if medical insurance paid for the gps tracking of autistic children. Or of the gov't subsidized it to make it affordable to everyone.

There are also specially trained dogs for children with autism.

 

[HauntsForHope]

There are also specially trained dogs for children with autism.

I didn't know that. Interestingly, they picture the dog with a child on the beach.
http://dogsforautism.org/

 

[HauntsForHope]

I think it's the enveloping nature of water. The water holds and hugs them. The water changes how the world sounds. My nephew has severe autism and he's the same. He loves to splash and enter water. He will always need to be supervised around water, I fear.

Yes, exactly! I know what you mean. I have an alarm on the door to the yard for when they visit, so I can keep him safe. He's clever and knows how to figure a way out. Like Avonte did to escape that day. There's only so much you can do. One day we were sitting on the patio, he was playing at my feet with a toy. And he suddenly got up and ran full speed into the pool. I jumped in after him and pulled him out. It was shocking how fast it happened. I recently watched a video surveillance tape of a young autistic boy standing in the park by a tree about 10-12 ft from a road. One second he was looking into the park relaxed and the next he was flying out into the road in front of an oncoming van. He just turned and bolted, arms in the air like he was flying. Simply terrifying.

 

[J1981]

I have a question for those that have been reading this thread from the beginning...remember when there was a possible sighting of Avonte (I think on a train?). Was he found in that direction that the train (?) was headed?
Otherwise, what are ways he may have gotten so far?

 

[Plumeria5]

I have a question for those that have been reading this thread from the beginning...remember when there was a possible sighting of Avonte (I think on a train?). Was he found in that direction that the train (?) was headed?
Otherwise, what are ways he may have gotten so far?

The boy on the train was identified and didn't end up being Avonte.

I believe Avonte went into the river near the school and marsh where dogs alerted. His body most likely flowed north to the location where it was found.
This article explains the tides and flow of the East River.
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Which_direction_does_the_East_River_of_New_York_flow

 

[J1981]

The boy on the train was identified and didn't end up being Avonte.

I believe Avonte went into the river near the school and marsh where dogs alerted. His body most likely flowed north to the location where it was found.
This article explains the tides and flow of the East River.
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Which_direction_does_the_East_River_of_New_York_flow

Thanks. For some reason I was thinking the river ran the opposite direction.

 

[BethInAK]

voominvava---sorry-should have typed clearer---I was thinking of the girl who found him.-----would she have walked behind the fencing?????? I am not accusing her of course--just puzzling out loud.

One tiny glimmer of good guys---now some better controls will be in place for special needs kids. Maybe a GPS-type of bracelet?? Or am I being really reactionary????

I don't think you are. When you consider the number of autistic kids who wander and who are unable to communicate and find their way home, I would say it would be a great idea. They do make such things:

http://www.brickhousesecurity.com/category/gps+tracking/gps+tracking+devices+for+children.do

Amazon.com: PocketFinder Personal GPS Locator

 

[HauntsForHope]

Thanks. For some reason I was thinking the river ran the opposite direction.

I thought so too. Turns out it actually changes direction with the tide, twice a day.

 

[voominvava]

Yes, exactly! I know what you mean. I have an alarm on the door to the yard for when they visit, so I can keep him safe. He's clever and knows how to figure a way out. Like Avonte did to escape that day. There's only so much you can do. One day we were sitting on the patio, he was playing at my feet with a toy. And he suddenly got up and ran full speed into the pool. I jumped in after him and pulled him out. It was shocking how fast it happened. I recently watched a video surveillance tape of a young autistic boy standing in the park by a tree about 10-12 ft from a road. One second he was looking into the park relaxed and the next he was flying out into the road in front of an oncoming van. He just turned and bolted, arms in the air like he was flying. Simply terrifying.

Terrifying for sure. My 2 1/2 year old son has not been diagnosed yet, but our pediatrician has said he's fairly certain he is autistic. I am certain. He is a bolter, too .. and the biggest problem with that (for my boy, at least), is not even the running away (which is frightening), but the fact that he won't come back when you call him. Once he's focused, he's zoned in. And he can't seem to comprehend my telling him it's dangerous .. he just has this comprehension issue that I can't figure out. Luckily he holds my hand very tight still, when we're walking anywhere.. but if I let go, he would be gone.

This case hits very close to home and has quadrupled my paranoia that was already at ridiculous levels.

 

[LookingHoping]

Estuaries. I guess without being on the coast you wouldn't really know about these, but I did see this confusion come up in the Heather Elvis thread, too. http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/estuary.html Good ole geography lesson

So sad for Avonte and his family Hoping this brings about even more change for kids who tend to run…it is all too common and feels impossible to manage sometimes.

 

[HauntsForHope]

Terrifying for sure. My 2 1/2 year old son has not been diagnosed yet, but our pediatrician has said he's fairly certain he is autistic. I am certain. He is a bolter, too .. and the biggest problem with that (for my boy, at least), is not even the running away (which is frightening), but the fact that he won't come back when you call him. Once he's focused, he's zoned in. And he can't seem to comprehend my telling him it's dangerous .. he just has this comprehension issue that I can't figure out. Luckily he holds my hand very tight still, when we're walking anywhere.. but if I let go, he would be gone.

This case hits very close to home and has quadrupled my paranoia that was already at ridiculous levels.

Don't panic. You're doing fine. You understand your child in a way no one else can. My grandson is the same way. He would run and run and never look back no matter how much I called him. And it seems to always be towards danger. Keeping him safe is a 24/7 job. If your doctor is "fairly certain", you may want to get started right away with the proper services and diagnosis. Organizations like Autism Speaks can be very helpful in providing information on special education and social security benefits.

In Canada: http://www.autismspeaks.ca/

http://www.autismspeaks.org/

http://nationalautismassociation.org/

 

[voominvava]

Don't panic. You're doing fine. You understand your child in a way no one else can. My grandson is the same way. He would run and run and never look back no matter how much I called him. And it seems to always be towards danger. Keeping him safe is a 24/7 job. If your doctor is "fairly certain", you may want to get started right away with the proper services and diagnosis. Organizations like Autism Speaks can be very helpful in providing information on special education and social security benefits.

http://www.autismspeaks.org/

http://nationalautismassociation.org/

Thank you .. because autism manifests so differently in each child, we definitely have to trust our gut and use our connection to our child as best we can.

Thanks for the links, I'm in Canada .. The pediatrician isn't the one who does the diagnosis, there are quite a few paths I have to follow to get there, unfortunately. I am on a waiting list for an appointment with a counsellor that can guide me in the right direction for my son.

 

[HauntsForHope]

Thank you .. because autism manifests so differently in each child, we definitely have to trust our gut and use our connection to our child as best we can.

Thanks for the links, I'm in Canada .. The pediatrician isn't the one who does the diagnosis, there are quite a few paths I have to follow to get there, unfortunately. I am on a waiting list for an appointment with a counsellor that can guide me in the right direction for my son.

Yes, you're right. I watched my daughter go through it, you will be fine. Sounds like you're on the right track <3

Here's the Canadian Office link: http://www.autismspeaks.ca/

 

[Cancan]

Parents say he feared the water and would never have gone anywhere near it. (via spokesman, Fox 5 10:00 p.m. news.)

 

[Plumeria5]

Parents say he feared the water and would never have gone anywhere near it. (via spokesman, Fox 5 10:00 p.m. news.)

I know they have said this from the beginning and I think that is what they wanted to believe because the outcome might have been much better. But on the recent school field trip boat cruise on the river, it was reported that Avonte was fascinated with the water. Unfortunately we often don't know our children as well as we would like to think we do and having worked with autistic children, sadly I know how unpredictable and spontaneous they can be.

 

[Snoods]

Whoa my margins were blown on the page before this one! I wanted to thank so many posts but it was such a pain to scroll over on each so, sorry...I had to ditch the page.

I guess we still don't know anything yet for sure? I'm not familiar with the area, but if you look at the map the remains seem impossibly far from the school he was reported missing from! Let me find the map and I'll post it if it hasn't already been posted.

ETA: Although I do think it is Avonte, as clothes match what he was wearing as well. But it still seems so far!

 

[Plumeria5]

Snoods, you can hit Control then - until you can read the whole page...with my reading glasses on and maybe hold up my magnifying glass.