A Nassau County family says their child with autism, a kindergartner in the Rockville Centre School District, was able to walk from his elementary school campus to his home in the middle of the day.

The family said police and other first responders rushed to Riverside Elementary School Wednesday afternoon after the 5-year-old child went missing, only for his parents to shockingly find him back at their home half a mile away.

The boy's family said the kindergartner climbed a gate at the school and walked about 12 minutes undetected.

Rockville Centre Superintendent of Schools Matthew Gaven told News 12 in a statement: "The district takes student safety very seriously. We are aware of the incident and are actively investigating."

Rockville Centre police has not yet responded to News 12's multiple requests for more information.

Tonight, the Rockville Centre Board of Education will hold its regularly scheduled meeting at the Wm. H. Johnson Administration building starting at 7 p.m. The meeting includes a superintendent's report and an opportunity for parents to speak out publicly.