A news story from my old home town (as much as the LA area can be considered a “town”) brings up an important point: many of the issues that get advocate attention are not limited to children. Case in point: Police ask for help finding missing Redondo Beach man with autism.
A 61-year-old man suffering from autism was missing from the south Redondo Beach area, poilice said.
Yong Boo Keum was last seen in the south Redondo Beach about 10:30 a.m. Saturday. He went out for a walk and did not return home, according to a news statement from the Redondo Beach Police Department.
Keum has limited Korean and English language skills, and was described as a 5-foot, 1-inch tall Asian male with short black hair, brown eyes and weighing 95 to 100 pounds, according to the news statement.
He was last seen wearing a gray “LA” baseball cap, a navy blue windbreaker with “POLO” displayed on the front in white lettering, dark-colored jeans and possibly a gold-colored watch, according to the statement.
Police asked anyone with information regarding Keum’s whereabouts to call the Redondo Beach Police Department at (310) 379-5411.
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By Matt Carey
“…suffering from autism…” Suffering? Does the media really have to say such crap? I do hope Mr. Keum is found safe and soon.
Thankfully he has been found
“Missing Person Located:
Redondo Beach resident, Yong Boo Keum, was reported missing yesterday, November 15, 2014. Earlier today, Keum was located at a church in the city of Torrance and has been returned home safely to be reunited with his family.”
http://local.nixle.com/alert/5303579/
Wandering still a problem.
Thanks for that info, Liz.
I dunno, I think this is often one of those things that does get advocate attention, but a whole lot of the wrong kind of attention.
Yes, wandering is a problem. It’s one of the trump cards that parents often bring up as to why autism is a problem to them, why they want a cure, why they want autism defeated…their child wanders, and they reasonably fear for their safety.
They rarely want to listen to self-advocates about reasons why people wander, or what to do about it in ways that still allow for autonomy and competence.