Alert issued and massive search has begun for a 5-year-old boy who suffers from autism

A toddler named Joseph Daniels went missing from his home recently. He is suspected to be lost in a wooded area.

The boy went missing on April 4, 2018, according to Faith Family America. He is said to suffer from non-verbal autism.

The police have asked for the public’s help in finding Joseph ‘Joe Clyde’ Daniels, 5. He went missing from his home in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

WKRN reported that he was last seen on Tuesday night. The boy lives on Garner’s Creek Road in the countryside outside Dickson, Tennessee.

His home is about 40 miles west of Nashville. A helicopter has been launched as part of the search, and authorities have widened their search area.

At the moment it’s not known if he’s alone or in the company of someone else. Daniels is 4 feet tall and weighs 65 pounds.

“He must’ve unlocked the door. He got out.”

Joseph Daniels father, Faith Family America, April 4, 2018

The toddler has blonde hair and his eyes are blue and he was last seen wearing pajamas. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) has also joined the search.

They were involved in the nationwide search for 15-year-old Elizabeth Thomas last year. Daniels’ parents discovered that he was missing when they went to wake him up for school at around 5:20 a.m.

After searching their home and property for nearly an hour, they called 911 just before 6:30 a.m. to report the boy missing. The boy’s father noted that his son didn’t take any stuffed animals or blankets from his room.

Earlier on Wednesday, a K-9 tracked Daniels’ scent to a pond before the trail vanished. The pond was drained and nothing was found.

There were several other small bodies of water near Daniels’ home. A helicopter, watercraft, divers, and volunteers were all being used in the search.

"There's all the possibilities that something bad happened, but obviously we're praying for nothing in that way, but being non-verbal, being not able to call out or ask for help or anything like that makes it even more important, drastic and time-sensitive,” family friend Lyndsay Estes said.

The search for the boy was expected to continue until dark on Wednesday and would continue on Thursday morning if needed. Anyone with information is urged to call the TBI at 1-800-TBI-FIND.