A Milwaukee mother experienced a "meltdown" after her 6-year-old autistic son walked out of school unnoticed and was found hours later on a highway by a stranger.
Precious McIntyre's son, Tyree, who has ADHD and was recently diagnosed with autism, had a 504 plan in place. The plan is used in school systems as a legal document that outlines accommodations and support for students with disabilities to have equal access to educational opportunities.
Tyree's plan specifically included measures to prevent him from wandering out of the classroom unsupervised, especially if he experienced extreme moods.
Despite this, on Sept. 20, he could walk out of the school without alerting anyone. After three hours, a woman found Tyree near a busy intersection one mile from his home. The woman helped Tyree get to safety.
Following the incident, McIntyre expressed her outrage and filed multiple complaints with the Milwaukee Public Schools and the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. She has not received a response from either entity, prompting her to withdraw Tyree from the school.
"I had a meltdown," she said. "If it wasn't for the grace of god and this lady bringing my baby home and me teaching him at least the street that he lives on, he could have been in the morgue or dead."
To date, McIntyre has not received a response from either entity regarding how this could have occurred, leading her to withdraw Tyree from the school.
Originally Published in Latin Times.
