Child age 8 walks to our house on his own?!

[user1478188491]

There is a boy who is age 8 in my DS class at school who lives at the top end of our road.
We live at the bottom.
Boy is in same class as our son. He has autism and learning delay, and had a mental age of around 4/5 with no danger awareness or concept of traffic road awareness etc.
Today our doorbell rings, boy in question has walked himself down the road from the top of the road where he lives around 400/500 yards away ON HIS OWN 😳
He said he wanted to come and see my DS and come in and play however we were on our way out so I asked him ‘Where are your parents?’ He said ‘At Home’
So I assumed he had come out without their knowledge and said ‘Do they know where you are?’
He replied ‘Yea’
I found this very hard to believe so I rang his mum who answered and I said he was here did she know?
Her reply ‘Ah yeah he said he was going to come down and see you, we had a bit of an argument and he ran out of the house’
She said give her 5 minutes and she would come down and get him.

I was shocked, I can’t get my head around on what planet it’s on to allow a child of 8 years old walk himself up and down a busy road with traffic, (no crossings just straight down one side of the pavement) And also this boy is mentally behind any other 8 year old, he has no concept of danger or road safety/awareness.

AIBU for thinking his parents are irresponsible for allowing him to do this?

I don’t think it’s particularly dangerous for an 8 year old to walk down the pavement with no road crossing to a friends house <1 min away, no.

Presumably his mother thinks he is safe to do so too.

You are being daft. Of course an 8 year old can walk down his road in broad daylight.

Well he ran off so they didn't allow it, and I don't see the problem. Kids walk further than that to school, shop, nans house all the time.

Why do you presume to know more about how capable he is than his own mother?

YABU. Hope this helps.

8 is fine, especially if in mainstream school and in the class year of his age group. They can’t think he has a huge developmental delay if he’s in the same class as your 8 year old. He didn’t have to cross a road or anything.

YABU, and it’s down to the parent to determine this rather than you - and the way you’ve written your OP is quite dramatic.

OP granted it was many years ago, I used to walk down several streets to my grandparents aged 3.

An 8 year old who has learning delay and has a mental age of 4/5?
We are not talking a few houses down here, it’s a a long road with bends and turns so it’s not even like she can watch him from their house as it’s too far away.

I don't see why you're so appalled at this. It's not a big deal walking down a road. He doesn't even need to cross over.

YABU. A very OTT reaction.

I would think his mother has a better idea of his abilities than you do.

Why ask if you're unreasonable if you're just looking for support in judging this parent?

In Switzerland, 5 year olds walk to school (and cross roads) by themselves. Agree it's the mum here who knows best. YABVU.

You’re being over the top OP.

Round here, kids roam the village from age 6. They knock for their friends, go to the shop for sweets. No one bats an eyelid.

There’s a busy road that runs through the village - kids are taught to be wary when crossing it, or they’re only allowed on their side.

Although he’s in same school he is in the Hub part with learning delay and difficulty.
His assessment put him at an age of 4/5 and he has no understanding of the real world, he repeats him self and asks the same questions, and even when you answer he doesn’t register what your saying.

8 would normally be fine to walk to the end of the road. Obviously this kid has other issues but by he isn’t allowed to walk by himself by the sounds of it- he ran off and mum came to get him. So not sure I understand your point?

@user1478188491 I wouldn’t let my child do this is if they had special needs.

An 8 year old without it, yes, but only with my permission and checking that his friend is free.

The fact he ran out after an argument would make me run after him xx

How do you know what his assessment said?

Why do you appear to know so much private information about this child?

I’d bring up your very valid concerns with the school safeguarding lead. This sounds worrying.

even if it’s happened on a weekend out of school?

Because we know the parents well and they have told us this themselves

I am unsure of the child in question as I don't know him. However, to think an 8 year old cannot walk on a pavement to someone's house is completely ridiculous. Where i live children as young as 6 walk themselves to the bus stop to catch the bus to school. It's a parents job to teach their child independence.

Because we know the parents of the boy well, they told us this themselves.