Autism network calls for revamped alert systems after Calgary boy found dead

A non-profit representing Canadians with autism says better emergency alert systems for missing vulnerable people are needed after the death of a Calgary boy.

Police found the body of 11-year-old Parker on Wednesday afternoon in a labyrinth of water pipes under the city, nearly two weeks after he was first reported missing from a northside day home.

There was a massive search for the boy, who had autism and was non-verbal, that saw hundreds of officers and volunteers scour city blocks and play his favourite Disney songs to try to draw him out.

The search also raised questions about how to alert the public when vulnerable children disappear.

The National Autism Network says emergency alert systems and first-responder training need “urgent change” for vulnerable children and their families.

A group of mothers has also started petitions urging officials to launch similar broad outreach emergency messages for categories that include neurodivergent children.

“The National Autism Network will be creating space in the coming days for Autistic people, families, professionals and communities to share stories, identify solutions and help shape real change,” the group said in a news release Wednesday.

“No child should be lost because the world does not yet know how to find them.”