Parent-Reported Rates and Clinical Correlates of Suicidality in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Longitudinal Study.

Researchers asked parents about suicidal thoughts and self-harm acts in kids with autism.

The children were 7 to 11 years old.

Families answered the same questions more than once over time.

About 1 in 10 kids had talk of suicide.

About 1 in 7 had hurt themselves on purpose.

The two groups looked different at the start; most kids did not show both problems.

Segers et al. (2014) saw up to half of people with autism report suicidality. Their wide range came from mixing teens and adults. Green et al. (2020) zooms in on younger kids and gives a tighter, parent-view number.

Fradet et al. (2025) say poor sleep may drive suicidal feelings in older autistic people. The child sample in Green et al. (2020) did not track sleep, so future work could test if fixing bedtime lowers risk even in grade school.

Cramm et al. (2009) and Avni et al. (2025) show parents and teachers often score the same child differently. Green et al. (2020) used only parent report; teacher data might catch signs parents miss.

You now know suicidal talk and self-harm can pop up before middle school and do not always travel together. Add two quick parent questions to your intake: “Has your child said they want to die?” and “Has your child ever hurt themselves on purpose?” If either answer is yes, probe further and document separate plans.