Autism and Suicide Crisis Support

Crisis Supports for the Autism Community
by Lisa Morgan, M.Ed. 

Autistic populations typically present atypical behaviors when faced with a crisis. The behaviors may be attributed to a host of assumptions that leave the struggling person anywhere from ignored, to misunderstood, to in a life-threatening crisis mode. The suicide ideation rates are extremely high among autistics and the actual numbers of autistic persons who were lost to suicide is at best, a guess given so many people remain undiagnosed or misdiagnosed. We can only change this horrible reality if autistic people join forces with those who are in the best position either professionally or as invested crisis volunteers, to help us send our collective insight and advice forward. 
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Lisa Morgan, M.Ed. in collaboration with the American Association of Autism and Suicide Committee and Common Ground, prepared this essential information on crisis supports. I urge everyone to share the materials with your schools, physicians, counselors, politicians, community leaders, family and friends. 

And please remember... if you find yourself in crisis, reach out.  Feel free to print this material and bring it with you to your nearest crisis center, or use it to help you navigate an emergency phone call to a crisis center. There is no shame in asking for help.