ATLANTA, GA — The Georgia House has advanced a bill under the Gold Dome Tuesday afternoon that would create a new alert for missing autistic people.

The alert would be included under “Mattie’s Call” which is currently used for missing persons with Alzheimer’s. Autism advocate Rita Young has two grown sons on the spectrum and says this addition is needed.

“Anything we can do to keep our autistic children and adults safe; I am 100% for.”

Young says autistic people are more prone to wandering, are at a greater risk for elopement, and some autistic children have an attraction to water.

The alert would also include guidance for law enforcement on how to respond to a call that involves an autistic person.

For example, some autistic people may not react when their name is called or suffer from selective mutism when they are overwhelmed or experiencing sensory overload, complicating the situation. During stressful encounters, autistic people can suffer from either meltdowns or shutdowns, as well.

The bill now awaits final passage in the Georgia Senate.

WSB Radio’s Ann Powell contributed to this story.