Author: Laura Salmon and Henry Wood-Downie
Published: 2026
Publication: Autism

Many autistic girls experience misdiagnoses and often feel overlooked, misunderstood, unsupported, and exhausted from trying to fit into an unaccommodating neurotypical world. Early adolescence brings additional challenges, including the onset of puberty. This systematic literature review summarised research on autistic girls’ and women’s experiences of puberty and menstruation, alongside the perspectives of their caregivers. The review also explored what effective support looks like and considered whether autistic voices are included in intervention design and evaluation. Including autistic voice in research is essential to ensure literature reflects issues most important to autistic individuals and leads to meaningful support. Using narrative synthesis, findings from 17 studies described autistic females’ preparation for and experiences of puberty and the support they desire. Challenges included limited education before puberty, negative impacts on wellbeing, difficulties with menstrual self-care, and the interaction between autism and pubertal changes. While some alignment existed between desired support and intervention focus, particularly regarding self-care, most intervention studies lacked autistic input and focused on within-child change. Recommendations include early education emphasising the normality of puberty and menstruation, promoting self-care, dignity, advocacy, individualised support, and greater inclusion of autistic voices in research and practice.

Salmon, L. J., & Wood-Downie, H. (2026). The Pubertal and Menstrual Experiences of Autistic Females: What are the Implications for Education and Support? Autism, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613261478346

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