Searching a wilderness area for anyone can be difficult, but searching for someone with autism, like Jacob Allen, can be even more challenging.

Autism is a brain developmental disorder that affects each person differently, but usually folks won't reach out to others and tend to keep to themselves.

Specialists at the Autism Services Center in Huntington say it's natural for autistic people to not respond to others, even if they're calling their name.

They say Jacob might not know that he's being considered "lost." Family and friends say Jacob also has severe autism and doesn't speak. Even if searchers are close to him, he's not able to yell back.

Doctors say the best way to know what Jacob's likely thinking or how he's responding to the situation is to talk with his parents to find out his daily habits. They also say if searchers would play or sing his favorite song, he might come out to that. He may also respond to familiar voices who are out searching for him.