A mother and grandfather in Georgia face charges after allegedly leaving three young children with autism unsupervised at home. The incident occurred on the evening of April 20 when a concerned individual called police after spotting a child alone on the side of the road. Upon arriving at the home in Albany, officers found two other children inside, all of whom were described as non-verbal and autistic.
The children, aged 8, 4, and 9 months, had been left without adult supervision. Authorities confirmed that none of the children were harmed during the incident. The children’s mother, 25-year-old Amia Elder, and grandfather, 66-year-old Kenneth Elder, were both arrested and charged with three counts of reckless conduct.
Under Georgia law, reckless conduct can result in penalties including a maximum of one year in jail and a $1,000 fine for misdemeanor charges, with felony charges carrying a prison sentence of up to 20 years.
Experts from a Georgia-based therapy organization have recommended several safety measures for parents of children with autism, such as securing the home with locks, teaching emergency preparedness skills, and using monitoring devices when necessary. They also emphasize the importance of creating a supportive community network to ensure the child’s safety.
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