However, detectives investigating the circumstances of the AJ’s disappearance said his injuries and condition were consistent with him being in the bush the whole period he was missing.Ī paramedic told local media that the boy ate an entire pizza and drank lots of water after his rescue. The remarkable story of survival saw conspiracy theories circulated on social media that his disappearance was staged. “Kids with autism may wander because they have a weaker sense of danger than other kids… Or they may get fixated on exploring something interesting.” he had access to water, which is a big thing for survival in the bush."Īccording to the Child Mind Institute, children with autism often have “a weaker sense of danger” than others and enjoy exploration. "The reality is he didn't know he was lost… so he wasn't scared, he didn't panic," an investigator said. They suggested to Daily Mail Australia that the young boy's autism may have played a decisive role in keeping him calm and alive. Investigators are now trying to piece together the young boy's time in the wild with bush survival experts. He was discovered drinking water from a creek, 500m from the family home near Putty. Non-verbal AJ Elfalak was reunited with his parents on Monday after spending the weekend in rugged, rural New South Wales, with the temperature dropping as low as two degrees Celsius at night. Non-verbal AJ Elfalak was reunited with his parents earlier this week after he was discovered by a creek 500m from the family homeĪ three-year-old Australian boy who managed to survive on his own in the bushland for three nights may have been better equipped to handle the ordeal because he has autism, experts say. Three-year-old boy 'miraculously' survived in Australian bush for three days because his autism 'stopped him from panicking'