Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signed a bill on June 18 named for a 6-year-old West Chester boy that will improve emergency alerts for missing children with autism.
Joshua Al-Lateef Jr., who had autism and was nonverbal, died on Nov. 21, 2024, after being missing for 28 hours. He was found in a pond at the family’s West Chester apartment complex.
The new law creates the Joshua Alert that would require local law enforcement to immediately notify the statewide emergency alert program when a child with autism or another developmental disability goes missing.
“This has the capacity to alert the public more quickly with the potential to truly save lives when seconds matter most,” said Sen. Terry Johnson, R-McDermott.
Under current law, local law enforcement generally is not required to notify the statewide alert system during the first 24 hours of a missing-child case. The proposed change would speed up that process for these high-risk children.
Joshua’s death is not uncommon. Accidental drownings are among the leading causes of death of individuals with autism, according to the National Autism Association. One study found nearly half of children with autism tend to wander from safe settings, which can lead to injuries.
“While no law can undo the pain of a devastating loss, we have a responsibility to learn from these situations and to take meaningful steps to ensure they don’t happen again,” said Sen. Casey Weinstein, D-Hudson.
State government reporter Jessie Balmert can be reached at jbalmert@gannett.com or @jbalmert on X.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Ohio Gov. DeWine signs ‘Joshua Alert’ law named for West Chester boy
Reporting by Jessie Balmert, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
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By Jessie Balmert, Cincinnati Enquirer | USA TODAY Network
