Mickey Starling
ECB Publishing, Inc.
Though the Florida Spectrum Alert was established in 2025, it didn’t go into effect until Wednesday, July 1. The new alert is intended to enhance the safety and well-being of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) through immediate and effective community and emergency response.
Children with autism spectrum disorder are prone to wander, or elope, from safe environments at a much higher rate than their non-autistic peers. Elopement often results in tragedy, including fatal traffic accidents and drownings. Children with autism spectrum disorder are often attracted to bodies of water, which poses a unique risk in Florida due to the prevalence of water in the environment. Currently, one in 31 children in Florida are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, which reflects the national average.
The Spectrum Alert is intended to quickly mobilize the community to assist in locating and ensuring the safe recovery of missing children with autism spectrum disorder.
To activate a Spectrum Alert, the following five criteria must be met:
• The child must be under 18 years of age.
• The law enforcement agency of jurisdiction must reasonably believe that the child has autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
• The law enforcement agency of jurisdiction must have a well-founded belief, based on an active investigation, that the child is in danger of death or serious bodily injury.
• There must be a detailed description and/or a photograph of the child to broadcast to the public.
• The law enforcement agency of jurisdiction must recommend activation.
To activate an Enhanced Spectrum Alert, the above criteria are the same, except that the law enforcement agency of jurisdiction must have a well-founded belief, based on an active investigation, that the child is in imminent danger of death or serious bodily injury.
The activation process for issuing an alert is as follows:
• The local law enforcement agency will contact the FDLE Missing Endangered Persons Information Clearinghouse (MEPIC) at 1-888-356-4774.
• The FDLE, working in conjunction with the local law enforcement agency of jurisdiction, will prepare information for public distribution.
• The FDLE will ensure that the information is distributed to the media as well as to the public via text message and email through online sign-up and other resources.
Only law enforcement agencies can request activation of a Spectrum Alert. If you would like to report a missing person, please contact your local police department or sheriff’s office first, then contact MEPIC at 1-888-FL MISSING (356-4774).