Why does my child elope?

When damaged, the autonomic nervous system is often unable to regulate the proper flow and pressure of blood and oxygen into the brain when a person is standing upright. The brain does not like this and will force the individual to do certain things to improve blood flow such as fidget or crave sweet or salty snacks as these provide a boost of blood pressure.nnAnd if these compensations are not enough, the brain will trigger the secretion of a fight or flight hormone called noradrenaline. As the phrase “fight or flight” suggests, noradrenaline can cause aggressive, anxious, and frightened behaviors that sometimes manifest as the need to escape or flee. This need to escape is often referred to as elopement in children. nnThe elopement is just a side effect of noradrenaline resulting from autonomic dysfunction, and will resolve as the underlying cumulative brain injury is repaired. As the autonomics recover, these behaviors will improve over several weeks to a few months.