“Life is Much More Difficult to Manage During Periods”: Autistic Experiences of Menstruation

Starting from the assumption that menarche and menstruation are overwhelmingly negative events for developmentally disabled women, Steward et al. conduct much-needed research focusing on the experiences of women with autism. This preliminary investigation is a brief online survey on post-menarcheal autistic (n=123) and non-autistic (n=114) respondents. Although autistic respondents report many overlapping issues and experiences with non-autistic respondents, they also highlight distinct—and sometimes distressing—issues relating to menstruation, especially a cyclical amplification of autistic-related challenges, including sensory differences and difficulties with regulating emotion and behavior, which have a significant, negative impact on their lives. These initial findings call for systematic research on the potential causes, correlates, and consequences of menstrual-related problems in autistic individuals—across the spectrum and the lifespan.