“Nat runs to avoid work
Sherry runs when she wants attention
Mark runs whenever he can
They ran in the past and continue to run in spite of strategies created to stop the running. Sound familiar? People who run create stress for everyone involved; often their safety is at risk or their running creates further problems. No matter what the cause, you want the running to stop. The focus of most interventions is to stop the “runner,” a poor use of your time and energy. People will run faster, further and harder when you try to stop them without responding to the underlying needs triggering the running in the first place.”
The Canadian Down Syndrome Society has created a valuable resource in their Education Information Series that addresses what is being communicated by elopement, some skills that need to be in place for success and some other factors to consider in teaching those skills. You can find a copy here CDSS – How to Stop Running By Building Skills or at the Canadian Down Syndrome Society website. While it was created specifically for those with Down Syndrome, these strategies are applicable for multiple different diagnoses.