KQED's Forum New Research Tackles Heightened Risk of Suicide for Autistic Kids
Dec 15, 2025
Samara Tricarico, co-founder of the Endurant Movement, shares her personal journey raising an autistic son while advocating for better mental health support. Corinne Purtill, a health reporter, highlights alarming statistics about suicide risk among autistic youth. Jessica Schwartzman discusses the need for autism-informed mental health strategies, emphasizing the emotional toll of masking. Together, they explore the gaps in conventional mental health care and propose innovative solutions for supporting autistic individuals at risk.
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Parents’ Experience With Masking And Failed Care
- Neal and Samara Tricarico described their son Anthony as masking his autism and presenting as socially well-adjusted.
- They followed standard crisis advice, but inpatient care worsened his distress and removed hope.
Care Systems Operate In Dangerous Silos
- Mental health providers and autism specialists often operate in separate silos with little cross-training on suicidality in autistic youth.
- That gap left the Tricaricos unaware of elevated suicide risk until after Anthony's death.
Higher IQ Can Raise Suicide Risk
- Research shows suicide risk for autistic youth increases with higher IQ, reversing typical protective effects of intelligence.
- Autistic children with IQs of ~120 face much higher rates of suicidal ideation or attempts.
