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Autistic teen recovered after meeting with stranger she met online

By Staff Writer

A study by Cox Communications and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children shows that about 71 percent of teens have received a message on websites such as MySpance, Xanga and Friendster from someone who they do not know. Even more frightening, about 30 percent of youths said that they have considered meeting a stranger who they met online.

Autistic teens that have difficulty handling social situations may be at a higher risk for following the schemes of online predators. Recently, a 14-year-old autistic youth in Georgia left home on a Saturday in order to meet with a friend she met online, WSBTV reports. She was recovered by police three days later.

The girl's aunt, Amy Norton, said that her niece has the mental capacity of an eight year old. Therefore, it may have been difficult for her to tell the difference between a seemingly nice stranger and an online predator.

Parents who want to protect their teens from similar online dangers may want to consider enrolling them in a therapeutic boarding school. Faculty at these institutions are trained to help youths with similar disabilities.  

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