TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — A new Florida law is creating an alert system designed specifically for missing children with autism spectrum disorder.
The Spectrum Alert will function similarly to the AMBER Alert system, but will focus on quickly locating children with autism.
"We've needed an alert system here in the state of Florida for a long time when it comes to people with autism," said Stacey Hoaglund, President of the Autism Society of Florida.
Senior Reporter Kaitlin Knapp explains what the law will require:
When any child goes missing, time is critical. For children with autism spectrum disorder, seconds can mean the difference between life and death.
Last year in Florida, Hoaglund said 60% of children between 4 and 18-years-old who died from drowning had autism. There were 105 child drownings in Florida in 2024.
"Water can fulfill so many sensory needs because there's nothing else that any of us experience quite like water," Hoaglund said. "We are always searching for ways to save, especially from drowning."
The new law requires the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to develop a training program to help officers better understand autism spectrum disorder. Multiple state agencies will participate in the alert system.
The alerts will appear on lottery ticket machines and highway boards throughout the state.
At minimum, the law mandates that officers contact media outlets about the missing child, notify all on-duty officers, and alert neighboring counties.
"We really hope by having this alert system, it's not only going really alert your local communities, but it's going to spill over into the other communities that are close by," Hoaglund said.
Hoaglund hopes this immediate alert system will save children's lives.
"We really hope that it's going to be something that's going to affect the lives of those with autism," Hoaglund said.
While the law goes into effect on July 1, the agencies have until July 1, 2026 to implement everything.
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