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Missing Autistic Child Found Safe in Midvale, Utah

MIDVALE, Utah (KUTV) — A 5-year-old boy with autism went missing for nearly two hours Wednesday afternoon after walking off his school bus before it left Midvale Elementary. The boy’s mother, Ashlee Wiseman, was at the hospital with her 2-year-old daughter, who needed a blood transfusion due to severe health issues, when she received a frantic call from her husband. He told her that their son, a kindergartener, was missing.

Wiseman’s husband had been waiting for their son to be dropped off after school, but the boy never arrived. “They lost our son,” Wiseman said. “He was crying hysterically. I’ve never heard my husband like that before.” This unsettling moment quickly escalated into an emergency, as the boy’s parents realized that something had gone terribly wrong.

The 5-year-old, named Zen, had exited the school bus before it departed, and was walking through several intersections. “I looked for the numbers, Mama,” Zen told his mother later, explaining how he navigated his path through the neighborhood. Zen had managed to walk through nine or 10 intersections before a Unified Police officer located him a mile away from the school. The officer found Zen sitting alone on a curb near 7700 South Bingham Junction Boulevard, crying. The young boy was clearly distressed, but had managed to make it that far on his own, demonstrating remarkable resourcefulness.

When asked what he did at crosswalks, Zen said, “Stop,” and described running quickly across the intersections, demonstrating an awareness of the need to be cautious despite his young age. “For two hours, he was missing,” Wiseman said. “He was lost. They left him. He felt unwanted, and they were supposed to make him feel wanted and loved.”

In the midst of the frantic search, Wiseman turned to social media, hoping the community would rally together to help find her son. “I was everything — there’s not even a word. I was scared, mad, just horrified. I’ve never felt that feeling before,” she recalled. The emotional toll of not knowing where her son was for so long was overwhelming, and the support of others, through social media and other means, became crucial in the search for Zen.

Canyons School District officials confirmed that Zen had initially boarded the bus but exited before it departed from the school. “We recognize the distress this situation may have caused for the student and the student’s family. The school will be reviewing its bus boarding and deboarding procedures to prevent similar incidents from occurring,” a spokesperson for the district said in a statement. The district assured the public that they were taking the situation seriously and would be evaluating the steps taken to ensure the safety of students moving forward.

Wiseman explained that Zen had an aide arranged to ensure he boarded the bus and stayed on it after school. However, the district declined to confirm whether Zen had an aide that day, citing privacy reasons. “How did you guys miss this? How did you just let him walk off?” Wiseman expressed. “I’m lucky to have him today.” These questions left many wondering how the situation could have been prevented.

As a result of this incident, Wiseman made the decision to remove Zen from Midvale Elementary. She is now considering homeschooling as an alternative, feeling that the school was unable to adequately care for her son’s needs.

The district issued a follow-up statement, saying, “We commend the swift response of school staff and local law enforcement in reuniting the student with his family. School personnel immediately notified and collaborated with the Unified Police Department to safely locate the student.” Although the district praised the efforts of law enforcement and school staff in locating Zen, the incident raised serious concerns about the protocols in place to keep vulnerable children safe during daily transportation.

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