A mental health crisis occurs when an individual experiences an acute disturbance of thought, mood, or behavior and the resources available to manage the situation are not available at the time and place of occurrence. Clinical experience suggests such crises occur frequently among individuals with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and that they have serious negative consequences for child and family functioning. Despite the scope and impact of this issue, there is no systematic research on the measurement or management of mental health crises in individuals with ASD. This panel addresses this gap from several perspectives. Mr. Kalb will present on the development and psychometric analysis of the first mental health crisis measure designed for youth with ASD. Dr. Vasa will describe results from the first national survey of child and adolescent psychiatrists examining management of mental health crises among youth with ASD. Dr. Righi will report on the factors related to inpatient psychiatric hospitalization among youth with ASD, an important setting for treatment of mental health crises. Dr. Siegel will conclude the panel by discussing the prevalence and correlates of suicidal expression, a critical and life-threatening symptom of crisis, among children and adolescents with ASD admitted to an inpatient psychiatric setting.