What percent of autistic children will wander or elope?

• A. 25%
• B. 10%
• C. 75%
• D. 50%

Answer: (D)

Wandering is a common safety concern in autism, and research consistently shows that about half of autistic children will wander at some point. That makes fifty percent the best match among the options because it aligns with the most commonly cited estimate across studies. The other figures don’t fit as well: a quarter is lower than typical lifetime prevalence reported in many studies, ten percent underestimates the prevalence, and seventy-five percent would imply a much higher rate than what most research shows. Keep in mind that exact numbers vary depending on how wandering is defined (lifetime vs. past year) and the age of the children studied, but around fifty percent is the standard ballpark.