New Technology Tracks Wanderers

BALTIMORE -- Corinne Young's son was diagnosed with autism when he was 18 months old. But even after his years of consistent therapy and in-home support, she fears he might one day wander away and not return.
"I think that's every parent's nightmare whose child is autistic," Young said. "They're vulnerable, they're very easy prey."
Her son, Garret Young, now 18, has wandered off before, once finding his way into the creek on a vacant 27-acre farm when the family lived in New Jersey. Recently, he wandered away and was found hiding behind patio furniture at a local department store when he was out shopping with his mother.
Though neighbors will call Young to tell her if Garret is walking down the street or has found his way into their kitchen, she now has another tool to reassure her — the Rapid Return program run by the Howard County Police Department.