Teen Depression and Autism: Unique Challenges, Effective Strategies for Support
Upcoming Webinar
Airing Thursday, April 30, 2026 from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm ET
In this webinar, you’ll learn how to recognize and respond to depression symptoms in autistic teens from our expert presenter, Sara Rodrigues, DSW, LICSW. We’ll explore practical strategies for assessment and treatment that respect sensory needs and individual communication styles. You’ll learn practical approaches to support your teen’s mental health, including building positive identity and developing personalized emotional recognition tools.
A place to learn
At Families for Depression Awareness (FFDA), we focus on the families of people living with depression or bipolar disorder ("mood disorders"), equipping family caregivers with education and training so they can provide effective, constructive support to their loved ones.
Mood disorders affect everyone in a family, not only those with the diagnosis. Each family member should be able to have their needs identified and addressed.
In addition to passing along a higher likelihood of having a mood disorder, parents living with a mood disorder can find it hard to engage with their children, take care of household chores, do their work, and sometimes even to get out of bed.
Family caregivers risk wearing themselves out as they help their loved one seek treatment, manage the household and the family, and try to keep a roof over their heads.
Since our beginning, we have shared family stories to help caregivers feel like they are not alone, show that families can address mood disorders together, inspire hope, and dispel stigma. Each year, we add to our library of honest and inspiring accounts of families facing the challenges of mood disorders and suicide.
Adult Depression: Getting on the Path to Wellness as a Family
For Caregivers, Family Members, Friends, and Caring Adults Interested in Adult Depression
Pandemic Parenting: Supporting Teen Mental Health
Parenting teens through the years 2020 and 2021 has brought challenges we couldn’t have imagined in 2019. Families have experienced the contradiction of isolation and excessive time together; loss of income and higher levels of food- and housing-insecurity; drastically reduced access to school resources; increased rates of mental health distress and crisis; and ongoing fear for what the future holds. For most of us, the stressors have been layering on top of one another without relief.
Caregiving from a Distance: How to Support Someone Who Lives with Depression
For Caregivers, Family Members, Parents, and Caring Adults Interested in Caregiving from a Distance
Navigating Teen Depression and Substance Use as a Family
For Parents, Guardians, Family Members, Youth Workers, and Caring Adults Interested in Teen Mental Health