Parents outraged after 7-year-old with autism wanders from Reston elementary school alone

EXCLUSIVE - A Reston family was shocked and outraged to find that their seven-year-old son, who is non-verbal and has special needs, wandered off his elementary school campus and was found soaking wet in the rain.

Thankfully, he was unharmed, but his parents say no one at the school knew he was missing until the boy’s mother looked out the window and saw her child playing in a puddle in the rain when he was supposed to be at Dogwood Elementary School.

Seven-year-old Orion and his parents, Chad and Chelsea, only live about five minutes away from the school.

FOX 5 spoke with the child’s family, who called this incident careless.

"The school should have been more organized, knowing he has autism.," mom Chelsea said. 

The scare happened during early dismissal around 12:30 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 23. 

According to his parents, Orion was taken to the cafeteria and was told to sit among more than 100 students unattended. He reportedly became overwhelmed and left.

"He eloped from the school cafeteria by himself. between those hours he was outside by himself, roaming around us, having public pools as well — anything could have happened to my child," Chad Warner said. 

Orion’s mother saw him from their apartment window, playing near a storm drain in the parking lot outside their home. She says he was soaked from head to toe, in rushing water.

"My wife immediately walked over to the school and they had no clue of his disappearance," Chard Warner told FOX 5. "[They] thought he was still in the cafeteria being unattended as well amongst 100 children, again having non-verbal autism." 

The family says they contacted Dogwood Elementary School’s administration, Fairfax County Public Schools and the school district’s special education department for answers about what took place and the response was minimal — reportedly filled with apologies and "damage control." 

In an email to FOX 5, the school district says in part it’s refining its policies and procedures but when we asked what’s being changed, we did not hear back.

In the school district’s response, a spokesperson for the school district said it’s refining its policies and procedures but when we asked what’s being changed, we did not receive an answer.