Autism and Suicide: What you need to know

Autism and Suicide: What you need to know 

Autistic people are at higher risk for suicidal thoughts and behaviors, but it may look different when an autistic person is in crisis.  

Join us as we hear insights from the work of Lisa Morgan and Caitlin M. Conner, PhD., LCP and their paper Recent Research Points to a Clear Conclusion: Autistic People are Thinking About, and Dying by, Suicide at High Rates. This talk will cover what we know about specific warning signs in autistic people and how to adapt communication effectively to assess suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STB). 

What you will learn: 

• How to understand suicide statistics and warning signs of suicide for autistic people 
• Be able to explain the unique risk and protective factors for STB in autistic people 
• To adapt communication strategies to effectively assess STB in autistic people 

Register now to secure your spot! 

This event has been approved for 1 CEUs by the Washington Chapter, National Association of Social Workers (NASW) for Licensed Social Workers, Licensed Marriage & Family Therapists and Licensed Mental Health Counselors. Your Provider number is #1975-473 

This webinar is part of the series that was produced in partnership with the Washington State Department of Health. 

Speaker Bios: 

Lisa Morgan, MSW, is a trauma-informed consultant specializing in crisis supports and suicide prevention for autistic people. Lisa is founder and co-chair of the Autism and Suicide Prevention Workgroup and has led the development of several autism specific resources for communicating and supporting autistic people in crisis. A self-advocate with a passion for strengths-based solutions, Lisa has authored several books, articles, and resources all available on her website: www.autismcrisissupport.com. She is a community council member of AASET (Autistic Adults and other Stakeholders Engaged Together). Lisa has a master’s degree in Social Work and in the Art of Teaching, is a Certified Autism Specialist, a research consultant, and owner of Lisa Morgan Consulting LLC. 

Caitlin M. Conner, Ph.D., LCP (she/her) is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and a licensed clinical psychologist. She is part of the REAACT lab (Regulation of Emotion in Autistic Adults, Children, and Teens), which is housed in the Department of Psychiatry. Her research interests are in understanding, measuring, and treatment of co-occurring mental health conditions and suicidality in autistic teens and adults. Currently, Dr. Conner is involved in several parts of a large Autism Center of Excellence grant (Pitt ACE) focused on mental health and suicide in autistic adults, including co-leading a project to develop a self-report measure of propensity for suicidality in autistic people.