interview
Missing boy
Autism expert on the search for Arian: “Anything that can get his attention is right”
Watch the video: Police continue to search for missing Arian – with lights and balloons.
Video source: RTL
Arian is six years old, autistic and has been missing since Monday. The search for him uses unusual means such as balloons or fireworks. Why is that?
Six-year-old Arian has now been outdoors for four days and nights. How does a child with autism cope in this unfamiliar situation?
That would be a big challenge for any child of that age, whether with disabilities or not. I don’t know Arian personally, but paradoxically he might even be able to cope better with the situation: children on the autism spectrum may be less anxious in such a situation, for example they may not perceive the forest or the darkness as frightening or think about it less, what could happen.
The search methods seem unusual: balloons, spotlights in the sky, children’s music, fireworks. Why can they still bring success?
Anything that can get Arian’s attention is right. His family members are the experts because they know him best. It is important that attractive stimuli are used. If that means balloons, candy and spotlights for Arian, these methods are better than supposedly “normal” speeches such as calling his name.
Taped recordings of Arians’ voices are also played Brother and his mother. The brother asks the boy to come over and play with him. His mother gives him permission to go to the searchers. Why did you decide to do this?
I think familiar voices with not too much information are exactly the right way to attract Arian’s attention and lure him out of a possible hiding place.
What particular challenges do you see for those searching?
Children on the autism spectrum are often even more difficult to assess than other children. So no one among the searchers can say how much stamina the boy can hide with. Shouting loudly is more likely to deter him.
Do children like Arian even make contact with strangers?
This cannot be answered in general terms. Many children on the autism spectrum tend not to have contact with strangers. Others, on the other hand, appear rather aloof and hardly distinguish between known and unknown people when they need help.
How would Arian react if he suddenly found himself in front of a group of strangers?
Here, too, it is difficult to give a general answer without knowing Arian. Many people on the autism spectrum live in their own world and perceive things differently. A group of people tends to scare many people. I would advise that only one person approach the boy, meet him at eye level, avoid touching and speak only a few words.
How high are your hopes for a happy ending to the search for Arian?
I really hope that Arian is found healthy. His autism diagnosis could even help him in this situation: he is probably less aware of fears, hunger and cold.