Suicide rates among autistic individuals are significantly higher than in the general population, with studies indicating they are 3 to 9 times more likely to die by suicide. Despite these statistics, autistic people have only recently become a focus in suicide prevention and research. Drawing from my lived experience with autism and mental distress, I have spent the last two years as a lived experience trainer and facilitator in suicide prevention and lived experience practice. My own experiences with suicidality opened up key insights into a different fundamental approach to suicide prevention, and how this could be beneficial to other autistic people, and prevention efforts more broadly.
In my presentation, I will highlight how traditional behavioural intervention models and the pursuit of a "cure" for autism reinforce a pathological view, rooted in societal norms and capitalist functionality. This approach often exacerbates distress and loneliness among autistic individuals. Instead, I will show how the "social model of disability," states that it is the way society and environments are organised, rather than individual impairments or conditions, that is what disables people. This model, originating from civil rights movements and lived expertise, provides a more effective framework for suicide prevention, applicable to all experiencing suicidality.
I will demonstrate how advocates argue that autism and neurodivergence are natural variations of human cognition. And how leading neuroscientists are increasingly demonstrating that our environments and sensory experiences significantly influence our behaviours and emotional well-being. As these two viewpoints intersect evermore, it is essential to shift our focus in suicide prevention from individual pathology to the environmental and social factors that drive distress.
Understanding the effects of stress and trauma on the nervous system is critical, as is acknowledging how current living and working conditions lead to burnout. The high suicide rates in autistic communities reflect these challenges, highlighting the role of environmental sensitivity. By adopting an environmental perspective, we can develop more effective suicide prevention strategies that not only benefit autistic individuals but also enhance overall efforts. This approach underscores the urgent need for systemic changes in our social, emotional, and physical environments. I hope by demonstrating these points, some of the supposed mystery around suicidality in autistic people will dissipate altogether and we can begin to ask the right questions about how we can care for people through their experiences.