The National Autistic Society launches a downloadable menopause guide to help autistic people and to raise autism and menopause awareness.
The National Autistic Society is celebrating the start of Menopause Awareness Month by launching a new guide for autistic people. The downloadable Autism and Menopause guide offers advice and guidance for autistic people who are going through menopause or perimenopause.
Autism is a lifelong disability which affects how people communicate and interact with the world. At least one in 100 people are autistic, more than 700,000 people in the UK.
The menopause – which is reached 12 months after a person’s periods have ended – can also bring many challenges whether or not you are autistic. However, research suggests an autistic person’s traits may become more noticeable during this time, for example, intensified sensory sensitivities and difficulty with emotional regulation.
To mark World Menopause Day on 18 October, and to help increase understanding of autism, the National Autistic Society has produced new advice and guidance on menopause and a downloadable Autism and menopause guide.
• The online menopause advice and guidance pages have been created following a thorough review of the best available and most up-to-date evidence from research, professional practice and lived experience from autistic people.
• The new downloadable Autism and menopause guide includes details of what to expect during the menopause, insight from an autistic person’s menopause journey, tips on what can make it easier, and the treatment options available for menopause and perimenopause.
Research suggests that it is beneficial to know if you are autistic before reaching menopause, as it can help with understanding how and why the experience may be different to non-autistic people. It also allows autistic people to have more compassion for themselves and come up with coping strategies that work for them.
Dr Sarah Lister Brook, Clinical Director at the National Autistic Society, said: “Being autistic doesn’t mean you bypass the experience of menopause. In fact, perimenopause and menopause symptoms such as anxiety, mood swings and sensory sensitivities may be intensified.
“Some autistic people have even reported that their menopause played a role in discovering that they are autistic, because their autistic differences and needs became more apparent during this time.
“We know there is a need for autism-specific resources and support for menopause, so we hope our guide, created for World Menopause Day, will help some of the 700,000-autistic people in the UK.”
Carol was diagnosed as autistic in her late 50s. She said: “I didn’t realise what was happening when the menopause hit me. I was tired, aching all the time, and extra stressed. I realised I also had memory and attention problems when I started missing meetings at work and forgetting what people had told me. I also had uncontrollable emotions and, though I’ve always been anxious, for the first time I experienced panic attacks.”
Find out more by visiting the charity’s website: www.autism.org.uk
