Teen Depression and Autism: Unique Challenges, Effective Strategies for Support
Airing Thursday, April 30, 2026, from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm ET
Is your teen with autism experiencing changes in their daily routines? Finding it harder to express their emotions? Depression in autistic teens can look different from what many parents and caring adults expect, affecting more than just mood. While autism itself isn’t the cause of depression, navigating a neurotypical world can present unique challenges for autistic teens.
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.
Don’t wait to get support. Join us to learn how to better understand and help your teen. Every parent and caregiver can make a difference – let us show you how to recognize the signs and take effective action.
This program is supported by
George Harrington Trust
Massachusetts Department of Public Health Suicide Prevention Program
Middlesex Savings Charitable Foundation
Bennett Family Foundation
Rebecca Pomroy Foundation
Thomas Anthony Pappas Foundation
Presenters
Sara Rodrigues, DSW, LICSW
Dr. Sara Rodrigues, LICSW, is a clinician, educator, and disability justice advocate with over 20 years of clinical practice. She is the Executive Director of the Balanced Learning Center, a nonprofit focused on neurodiversity-affirming therapy and community programming, and the CEO of Neuroharbor Wellness & Consulting as well as an adjunct professor at Boston University and the University of Massachusetts Global. Dr. Rodrigues specializes in supporting neurodivergent individuals, particularly those navigating trauma, education systems, and structural barriers to care. Most importantly, she is a mom to 3 incredible kids. Her work blends clinical expertise with lived experience and a commitment to systemic change. She is passionate about dismantling deficit-based models and replacing them with relational, affirming, and accessible approaches that center client voice.
Lisa Mecham, MSW, Moderator
Lisa Mecham, MSW, is a writer and freelance editor based in California. Her work has been featured in The New York Times: Tiny Modern Love and Roxane Gay’s bestselling anthology Not That Bad: Dispatches from Rape Culture. Lisa’s writing about redefining her family and staying legally married to her husband, despite their separation, has been published in The On Being Project and HuffPost. Lisa’s interests center around resiliency, agency, and hope, with a particular focus on empowering women. She holds a Master of Social Work degree from the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis.
