Robert "Alex" Cason, a 5-year-old autistic boy, recently wandered off from his home through a downed fence board and became lost in the early morning hours while his family slept.

Wearing only a pull-up training diaper, he was found ringing a doorbell at a Good Samaritan's home.

Since Alex is nonverbal, the Good Samaritan noticed he was wearing a MedicAlert' bracelet and contacted the organization's 24-Hour Emergency Response Center to report the incident.

MedicAlert contacted Alex's family to verify his location, and he was returned home safely.

"Autistic children are curious, and it's not uncommon for them to wander off and become lost", said Alex's mother, Dolly Cason.

"And if the child is nonverbal like Alex, they can't tell you where they live".

Cason decided to purchase a MedicAlert membership for her son when he first wandered off at age two.

She found him nearly five acres away.

He doesn't respond to his name, so the search process was even more difficult.

"I know MedicAlert will speak for Alex even if he can't speak for himself", said Cason, a mother of six children.

"The protection and peace of mind they provide is priceless".

According to the California Department of Developmental Services, autism affects more than 21,000 Californians.

The Associated Press states that autism is more prevalent in California than childhood cancer, diabetes and Down syndrome.

About MedicAlert

MedicAlert is one of the largest nonprofit membership organizations in the world with a mission to protect and save lives. Since 1956, MedicAlert has relayed members' key medical facts to emergency medical personnel so that they receive faster, safer treatment, and avoid harmful or fatal reactions.