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.
Part 1: Building a Treatment Team with Your Loved One
Part 1 of this series focuses on the treatment team, the network of providers and other professionals who support your loved one’s care. Hear from mental health providers about how they’re involved in your loved one’s care, what you can do to help your loved one connect with them, and what you can expect your role to be.
Avoiding Depression Treatment Pitfalls
Helping your loved one get treatment for their mental health condition can be time-consuming, confusing, and frustrating. There are steps you can take as a caregiver to make the process of getting treatment easier.
What’s My Role? Helping Your Loved One Manage Depression Treatment
It’s a frustrating fact: there is no one-size-fits-all treatment for depression. As a caregiver, you want to confidently point your loved ones toward treatment options you know will help them get well. Unfortunately, finding the right treatment takes time and is almost always a trial and error process.
From My Experience: Youth Discuss Living Through a Mental Health Crisis
The teen years can be challenging. When pressures from school, peers, work, family, and society build, it can be hard to know how to let off steam. Bingeing Netflix and sleeping through tough days might feel helpful at the moment, but that doesn’t address the underlying stressors. Too often, teens feel alone, overwhelmed, anxious, depressed, and without hope. Sometimes this can lead to a mental health crisis situation. What happens then?