Mother Demands Answers After 5-Year-Old Son with Autism Walks Out of Boston School

The child, who is nonverbal, was found by a custodian after leaving the school unnoticed.

Published on Feb. 17, 2026

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A mother in Boston is demanding answers from the city's public school system after her 5-year-old son with autism, who is nonverbal, walked out of his elementary school unnoticed. The child was found by a school custodian just before noon on Tuesday, after he had wandered out a side door. The mother says the school is trying to "sweep it under the rug" and that she no longer feels comfortable sending her son back to the school.

Why it matters

This incident raises serious concerns about the safety and supervision of students with special needs in the Boston public school system. Parents of children with autism expect their kids to be closely monitored, especially young, nonverbal students who require one-on-one support. The fact that this child was able to wander out of the school unnoticed is a major breach of trust and responsibility.

The details

According to the incident report, a paraprofessional was transitioning the 5-year-old boy from the bathroom to the hallway area outside his classroom when she left him unattended to take two other students to the bathroom. Surveillance footage shows the boy then wandering toward a stairwell and slipping out a side door. Boston Public Schools claims the child was only outside for about 4 minutes, but the mother is skeptical of that timeline.

  • On Tuesday, the 5-year-old boy walked out of Trotter Elementary in Roxbury, Boston just before noon.

The players

Keyshia

The mother of the 5-year-old boy with autism who walked out of the school unnoticed.

Trotter Elementary

The Boston public elementary school that the 5-year-old boy attends.

Boston Public Schools

The school district that oversees Trotter Elementary and is responding to the incident.

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What they’re saying

“It's 30 degrees outside. No coat, no hat, no nothing.”

— Keyshia (WFXT)

“They're trying to sweep it under the rug like he was fine, it's OK. But it's not OK because they never knew my child was missing.”

— Keyshia (WFXT)

“I'm grateful to the janitor. I'm very grateful because if he wasn't out there, they wouldn't have knew my son was missing.”

— Keyshia (WFXT)

What’s next

Boston Public Schools has stated that it is investigating the incident and will take appropriate action to ensure the safety of all students. The mother says she no longer feels comfortable sending her son back to the school.

The takeaway

This incident highlights the critical need for heightened safety protocols and supervision, especially for young, nonverbal students with special needs. It raises serious questions about the training and preparedness of school staff to properly care for vulnerable children in their charge.