'Perfect storm' menopause study | Scienceonthespectrum

Paper: "'Stepping into Who I Fully Am':
A Creative Exploration of Autistic Menopause

This paper was published in 2025, in the International Journal of Disability and Social Justice.

The authors were Mx Rose Matthews, Ms Christine Jenkins, Ms Margaret Janse van Rensburg, Dr Miranda Brady, Dr Rachel Moseley, and Professor Julie Gamble-Turner (author links will open in separate tabs).

You can click HERE to download a PDF of the paper.

This study was the second part of a three-phase project, called 'Bridging the Silos', led by Dr Miranda Brady. It has its own project website where all information about the study is hosted: www.autisticmenopause.com

Rather than creating a research summary in the same style as I've done for my other studies, I have uploaded the research briefing produced by the whole team. For further information, I signpost interested readers to visit the project's own website where all information about the study is hosted, www.autisticmenopause.com; you may also like to view the site of the first author, Mx Rose Matthews.

Please look further down the page for a resource pack created by the authors!

Summary of the study:

Previous studies report that menopause can be a very difficult transition for some autistic people. The three-phase 'Bridging the Silos' study focused on how autistic people experience menopause and what support and information might help them. Autistic Community Research Associates played an important role throughout the three studies, and first-authored this second article in the trio of papers.

The research brief produced by the team can be seen to the right, and downloaded here.

A summary of the three-phase study can also be found in the resource pack developed by the team, and the two-page summary which can be given to healthcare professionals.

Thank you for reading!

If you found this interesting, you may like to read:

"'When my autism broke': a qualitative study highlighting autistic voices on menopause" (2020)

"'Autism research is ‘all about the blokes and the kids’: Autistic women breaking the silence on menopause" (2021)

“'A perfect storm': Autistic experiences of menopause and midlife" (2024)

“'Struggling for years': An international survey on Autistic experiences of menopause" (2024)

You can also read non-academic articles and watch some talks on autistic menopause under Media and Online Publications.

Sadly there aren't many resources we know of for the menopause. But there are a few on the resources page!

Paper: "'Stepping into Who I Fully Am': A Creative Exploration of Autistic Menopause

The research brief produced by the team can be seen to the right, and downloaded here. A summary of the three-phase study can also be found in the resource pack developed by the team, and the two-page summary which can be given to healthcare professionals.

If you found this interesting, you may like to read:

Paper: "'Stepping into Who I Fully Am':
A Creative Exploration of Autistic Menopause

The research brief produced by the team can be seen to the right, and downloaded here.

A summary of the three-phase study can also be found in the resource pack developed by the team, and the two-page summary which can be given to healthcare professionals.