It's been almost a year since William Callaghan survived two freezing nights lost in the bush in Victoria.
Today, the teenager met some of the team who helped save him.
His mother Penny still feels overwhelmed by the rescue effort to find her son in the face of dwindling odds.
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© 9NewsIt's been almost a year since William Callaghan survived two freezing nights lost in the bush.
© 9NewsThe teenager met some of the team who helped save him today.
"We're extraordinarily grateful for the work that the SES (State Emergency Service) did," Ms Callaghan said.
More than 500 people searched for Will on Mount Disappointment, 60 kilometres north of Melbourne, after he disappeared during a bushwalk last June.
As hours turned into days, police and volunteers never gave up.
"It was absolutely freezing up there, but at no time during that search did anyone think that we wouldn't have a good outcome," SES volunteer Gary Boorbah said.
Will has autism and is non-verbal but his mother believes staying active kept him alive.
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© 9NewsRescuers fried onions on a barbecue and played his favorite song from Thomas the Tank Engine to try to lure him out of the bush.
© 9NewsPolice and emergency services are studying Will's case and adapting their search and rescue strategies for people with autism.
"We don't think he actually slept at all when he was on the mountain, and maybe that sort of was what helped him survive because he was moving so much," Ms Callaghan said.
In the weeks after the rescue, Will didn't want to stray too far from his parents.
"He was very clingy with me and Nathan," Ms Callaghan said.
"I think for the first time ever, he wanted to sleep in our beds."
Police and emergency services are studying Will's case and adapting their search and rescue strategies for people with autism.
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© 9NewsWill was eventually found by a member of the public.
© 9NewsIt's been almost a year since William Callaghan survived two freezing nights lost in the bush.The teenager met some of the team who helped save him today.
They fried onions on a barbecue and played his favourite song from Thomas the Tank Engine to try and lure him out of the bush.
He was eventually found by a member of the public.
"It gave us an opportunity to look at what the current search techniques are, and then think a little bit outside the box," Victoria Police Inspector Greg Barras said.
The family has since moved to Mansfield, a small town in the foothills of the Victorian Alps, so Will can receive more support at school.
"He is monitored very very carefully," Ms Callaghan said.