Autistic Menopause: A Guide to the Menopausal Transition for Autistic People and Those Supporting Them

Having menopausal symptoms as an autistic person can feel isolating and confusing. You might be wondering why you are feeling so lost or why your experience doesn’t seem anything like other people’s.

Here to provide you with clarity are Dr. Rachel Moseley, who is autistic herself, and Professor Julie Gamble-Turner, who has personal experience of the menopause. They combine their years of experience researching autism, health and wellbeing to bring you this indispensable book. Drawing on the powerful voices of sixteen autistic experts, chapters cover everything from understanding why being autistic will affect your experience of the menopause to advice about finding the strategies that work for you and seeking help. You will learn how the menopause can cause changes to your emotions, attention and memory as well as affect things like sensory issues, masking and communication, giving you tools to manage changes effectively and, most importantly, provide reassurance that you’re not alone.

Whether you’re an autistic person currently going through the menopause, are not yet menopausal, or have come out the other side, this book provides the knowledge and support you have been missing.

Dr Rachel Moseley has conducted research in autism since 2010, most notably focusing on issues around wellbeing and mental health. In 2020 and 2021, the two authors collaborated on the seminal work in the field of autism and menopause, publishing the first two academic papers in this field. Dr Moseley is a late-diagnosed autistic person herself, and is well connected to the autism community online and organisations within the UK. She has considerable consultancy experience with policy-makers and professionals in the health, social care, employment and education sectors, with regards the wellbeing of autistic people.

Professor Julie Turner-Cobb is a registered Health Psychologist with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC); a Chartered Psychologist and Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society (BPS). She has over thirty years experience of conducting research on the effects of stress on health and well-being in children and adults at different stages across the lifespan. She has published extensively in the field of psychoendocrinology that examines the effect of psychological factors on hormones. Her work has focused on coping and resilience during stressful life experiences, the importance of social support, and effects on parents, relatives and caregivers. Most recently she has researched midlife stress and focused on the experience of menopause particularly in autistic people.