A Retrospective Consecutive Controlled Case Series Analysis of the Assessment and Treatment of Elopement in Children with Autism in an Inpatient Setting

The team looked back at 14 kids with autism who were admitted one after another to an inpatient unit for elopement.

Each child got a quick functional assessment. Staff then built a multi-part plan that matched the reason the child ran—most plans used functional communication training, blocking, and extinction.

Treatment stayed in place 24 hours a day until the child showed two straight weeks with almost zero elopement.

Thirteen of the fourteen children cut elopement by at least 80 percent.

The most common reason kids ran was to get toys, food, or other tangibles.

Gains held steady while the kids stayed on the unit; the paper does not report long-term follow-up after discharge.

Lang et al. (2009) already showed that function-based plans work best for elopement. Nevill et al. add real-world proof from a busy hospital floor.

Bao et al. (2017) saw similar large drops in a day-treatment clinic. The new study shows the same model still works when kids live on the unit and treatment runs around the clock.

Scheithauer et al. (2025) moved the same ideas into parents’ hands. Their caregiver-training trial cut elopement without hospital stays, proving the treatment can travel.

Boyle et al. (2020) skipped extinction and still reduced elopement. Nevill’s team kept extinction in the package, so both studies together tell you there is more than one safe path.

If you serve kids who bolt, this paper gives you a clear recipe: assess fast, teach a simple request, block the exit, and do not let the run pay off. You can copy the parts even in day programs or homes. The 80 percent benchmark also helps you set goals and explain progress to families and payors.