Running away

G has a habit of running away. She has done it ever since she could walk.
It is not to be "naughty". It is not a game. It is a coping mechanism. When she is having a sensory overload she sometimes avoids a big meltdown, by running off to somewhere quieter, which can involve hiding too. It is also dangerous. And it scares the life out of me. Last week she vanished from the school playground. It took me, 3 friends and all our kids to find her. She was missing for 10 minutes.  She had decided it was too noisy in the playground and had gone out the school gates to the street to wait for me at the car. This filled me with fear. What if, once she starts school, she decides to go home? The school gates are open. There is nothing stopping her. Then she did it again this afternoon. Just ran off. I saw her go this time, and followed her but by the time I got to the corner she went around she was gone. Only about 3 minutes this time, but this has got to stop! So I asked some questions and found out that the school should get funding to have a teachers aide shadow her. Which started me thinking again about what other things I need to organise before G goes to school. So I picked up enrolment forms this afternoon, and made a call to Gs case worker at Connect. Yep- I was right. We have a busy year ahead.