1 Cassidy S

Bradley P

Robinson J

Allison C

McHugh M

Baron-Cohen S Suicidal ideation and suicide plans or attempts in adults with Asperger's syndrome attending a specialist diagnostic clinic: a clinical cohort study. 2 Hirvikoski T

Mittendorfer-Rutz E

Boman M

Larsson H

Lichtenstein P

Bölte S Premature mortality in autism spectrum disorder. A small body of research is showing worryingly high rates of suicidality in people with autism. In a large-scale clinical studyof adults newly diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome, 66% reported that they had contemplated suicide, significantly higher than rates among the UK general population (17%) and patients with psychosis (59%); 35% had planned or attempted suicide. A large-scale population studyshowed that suicide is a leading cause of premature death in people with autism.

1 Cassidy S

Bradley P

Robinson J

Allison C

McHugh M

Baron-Cohen S Suicidal ideation and suicide plans or attempts in adults with Asperger's syndrome attending a specialist diagnostic clinic: a clinical cohort study. 2 Hirvikoski T

Mittendorfer-Rutz E

Boman M

Larsson H

Lichtenstein P

Bölte S Premature mortality in autism spectrum disorder. 3 Coope C

Gunnell D

Hollingworth W

et al. Suicide and the 2008 economic recession: who is most at risk? Trends in suicide rates in England and Wales 2001–2011. The risk factors for suicide in people with autism can be very different to those in the general population, and thus require tailored prevention strategies. For example, substantially more adults with Asperger's syndrome experienced suicidal ideation (66%) than were depressed (32%), indicating a different route to suicidality than in the general population.Women with autism without comorbid learning disability were most at risk of dying by suicide.By contrast, most suicides in the UK general population are in men.Hence, suicide prevention strategies used in the general population might not be appropriate for people with autism.

1 Cassidy S

Bradley P

Robinson J

Allison C

McHugh M

Baron-Cohen S Suicidal ideation and suicide plans or attempts in adults with Asperger's syndrome attending a specialist diagnostic clinic: a clinical cohort study. , 4 Segers M

Rawana J What do we know about suicidality in autism spectrum disorders? A systematic review. 5 Conner KR

Beautrais AL

Brent DA

Conwell Y

Phillips MR

Schneider B The next generation of psychological autopsy studies. However, suicidality in people with autism remains poorly understood, and under-researched. Studies have typically used small non-representative samples, lacked validated measures, and failed to explore risk or protective factors.Insights from suicidology are needed to synthesise priorities for future research using high-quality research methods, to further our understanding of suicide in autism and inform new evidence-based prevention strategies for this group. For example, psychological autopsy methodscould be extremely valuable for exploration of the prevalence of autism in people who have died by suicide, and identification of any unique suicide prevention targets for this group. Existing theories explaining the movement from suicidal thoughts to behaviours in the general population, and treatments for suicidality and self-harm, have yet to be considered in the context of autism. However, such theories and treatments have the potential to be successfully adapted for this group. Existing models of good practice in assessment and treatment of suicidality in people with autism also need to be identified, shared, and implemented across services, and incorporated into government policy.

In view of the high risk of death by suicide in the autism community, recommendations for changes in policy and practice are needed now, before the final results of longer-term research programmes become available. Such changes can only be achieved by exchanging knowledge and expertise between those supporting people with autism on the ground (charities, clinicians, and people with autism and their families) and autism and suicide researchers with experience in translating relevant research into policy and practice.

Over the next 2 days, researchers from Coventry and Newcastle University, UK, will be running the first international suicide in autism summit, funded by Autistica in association with the James Lind Alliance . We will be convening a wide range of stakeholders to develop priorities for future suicide in autism research, ensure that appropriate and rigorous methods are developed and applied to achieve this aim, and develop recommendations for changes to policy and practice to reduce suicide in autism now. We call on researchers, policy makers and practitioners to participate by reading and feeding back on the outcomes from this meeting, which will be made available via our website

We declare no competing interests.