By Madison Montag, pennlive.com (TNS)
After the death of an autistic 6-year-old boy in Pennsylvania this month, a state representative is planning to introduce a new alert system dedicated to missing people with intellectual or developmental disabilities.
The legislation, proposed by Rep. Robert Leadbeter, R-Columbia, would create a “Purple Alert” system throughout Pennsylvania.
Dubbed “Aiden’s Law,” the proposed alert system would honor Aiden Ha, a 6-year-old nonverbal autistic boy who went missing in Columbia County on Oct. 4. A day later, he was found dead in the Susquehanna River.
Leadbeter said a specialized alert system could have contributed to the multi-agency search effort by distributing the boy’s picture, description and last known location.
“When a loved one with disability goes missing, every minute becomes critical,” said Leadbeter. “Even when all hands are on deck, these individuals are let down by the current system. Life is precious, and families should never feel helpless when a situation like this happens. My proposal would give law enforcement more tools to save lives and give families more peace of mind.”
In an Oct. 6 memo sent to all House members, Leadbeter said, “Many Pennsylvanians live with autism spectrum disorders, traumatic brain injuries, dementia onset at early ages, or other conditions that affect communication, judgement, and awareness.”
“Traditional alert systems often exclude them because they do not fit neatly into the criteria for missing alerts,” the memo said.
The Purple Alert system is modeled after Amber Alerts for missing and abducted children, Silver Alerts for missing older adults, and Green Alerts for missing at-risk veterans.
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Source: Berkshire mont