Federal Agencies Developing National Missing-Person Alert Initiative For People With Autism

The federal government is developing a national initiative intended to improve emergency response when children and adults with autism go missing. Announced August 21, 2026, the National Autism Missing and Endangered Person Alert Initiative will create national guidance, alert messaging resources, training, and recommended response practices for autism-related missing-person cases. Rather than creating a separate national alert system, the initiative is intended to help state and local authorities use existing Missing and Endangered Persons (MEP) alerts and federal emergency-alert technology more consistently when a person with autism goes missing.

The initiative is intended to address the particular . . .