Neurodivergence & menopause…
where should I start?

There is a lot of information online about menopause. There is also a growing amount about autism, ADHD and menopause.

The problem can be knowing where to start.

This is deliberately not a comprehensive resource list. We have chosen a small number of resources and organised them around what you might actually be looking for.

A note on language: not everyone who experiences perimenopause or menopause is a woman. Research in this area has also historically focused heavily on women, and there are still substantial gaps in what we know.

You do not need to read or watch everything on this page.

Pick the section that is useful to you:

I want a straightforward introduction to autism and menopause

Start with: Autistica – Menopause and autism

Best if you want: A relatively short, accessible written overview.

This is a useful place to start if you are autistic, think you might be autistic, or want to understand why menopause might interact with autistic experiences. It covers menopause itself as well as areas including sensory experiences, communication, emotional regulation, healthcare and support.

Autistica highlights that research into autism and menopause is still developing.

Read Autistica’s “Menopause and autism” guide

I want a straightforward introduction to ADHD and menopause

Start with: Berkshire NHS Trust – ADHD and the Menopause 

Best if you want: An NHS leaflet that brings ADHD and menopause information together in one place.

Read “ADHD and the Menopause” by the Berkshire NHS Trust

I would rather listen than read

Try: When the Wheels Fall Off (podcast) – Menopause and autism/ADHD

Best if you want: A conversation rather than another webpage.

In this Autism Central podcast, Catherine Asta and Sophie Cartledge talk about the intersection of perimenopause, autism and ADHD.

It includes discussion of sensory changes, regulation, burnout and the experience some people describe of previously workable ways of managing everyday life becoming much harder during perimenopause.

Listen to the podcast “When the Wheels Fall Off – Menopause and autism/ADHD”

I would rather watch something

Try: Dr Aimee Grant (YouTube) – Autism and the Menopause: What Does the Research Say?

Best if you want: Someone to talk you through the research rather than reading it yourself.

Dr Aimee Grant is a researcher working in autistic reproductive health. In this video she looks specifically at what research can currently tell us about autism and menopause.

It is a useful option if academic papers are not an accessible way for you to take in information.

Watch “Autism and the Menopause: What Does the Research Say?”

I want to understand WHY hormones might affect ADHD

Try: ADHD and hormones article by MoodLifter

Best if you want: A deeper but informal explanation of hormones, neurotransmitters and ADHD.

One of Neuroflect’s directors, Sarah Meharg, originally wrote this MoodLifter article because knowing that ADHD experiences could change across hormonal cycles did not answer the question she actually had:

Why: It explores oestrogen and progesterone alongside dopamine, noradrenaline, serotonin, GABA and glutamate, with links to the research Sarah was reading.

It also clearly includes Sarah’s own experiences and interpretations alongside the research.

The article was originally written in 2024 and last updated in 2025. Research in this area is developing quickly, so we recommend it as an accessible exploration of the possible mechanisms rather than a clinical guide or a statement that every relationship described has been conclusively established.

Read “Someone made the mistake of asking a question about ADHD and hormones…” by MoodLifter

I have EDS, HSD or hypermobility too

Start with: Hypermobility Syndromes Association (HMSA) – Hormones and hypermobility

Best if you want: Information about the interaction between hormonal changes and hypermobility.

Neurodivergence and hypermobility can co-occur, so for some people menopause is not only about changes in attention, sensory processing or regulation.

Changes in pain, joint stability, fatigue and other physical experiences may also be relevant.

The HMSA guide discusses hormones across the lifespan, including perimenopause and menopause, and considers HRT and hypermobility.

Importantly, it is also clear that there is still very little research in this area, so not every reported relationship between hormones and hypermobility has a firm evidence base.

Read “Hormones and hypermobility” by the Hypermobility Syndromes Association

What about dyslexia, dyspraxia or dyscalculia?

Start with: Royal College of Nursing) – Support for neurodivergent nursing staff: Self care & wellbeing

Why: Research specifically looking at menopause in dyslexic, dyspraxic/DCD or dyscalculic people is currently very limited.

We do know that perimenopause can affect things such as sleep, fatigue, attention, working memory, processing speed and memory. This may mean that tasks which already require more cognitive or physical effort become harder to manage at some points during the menopausal transition. However, we do not yet have enough research to say exactly how menopause affects dyslexia, dyspraxia or dyscalculia specifically.

This resource from the Royal College of Nursing is one of the few current resources that explicitly includes dyslexia, dyspraxia and dyscalculia when discussing hormones and neurodivergence.

Read the “Support for neurodivergent nursing staff – Self care and wellbeing” by the Royal College of Nursing

I need healthcare to be more accessible

Try: Using a Health Passport with your GP and health providers

Best if you want: a practical way of communicating information about yourself to healthcare professionals.

How: This is a health passport can record information about things such as:

  • How you communicate
  • Sensory needs
  • What makes healthcare easier or harder to access
  • How you experience or communicate pain
  • Support you may need
  • Reasonable adjustments that help

You can complete it in advance rather than needing to find and communicate all of this information while you are already dealing with an appointment, illness or an unfamiliar environment.

Thriving Autistic’s passport is designed for autistic people accessing healthcare and can be downloaded as a Word document or PDF.

Whilst this is aimed at autistic adults, it can be easily adapted for other neurodivergences. 

Download the “Healthcare Passport for Autistic Adults” by Thriving Autistic 

Also think about ….

Try: Asking for your reasonable adjustments to be recorded.

How: If you need reasonable adjustments when accessing NHS or other publicly funded health and social care services in England, you can ask your GP or healthcare provider to record those adjustments on your health record.

This might include things such as:

  • needing information in writing;
  • needing additional processing time;
  • a longer appointment;
  • avoiding telephone contact;
  • being able to wait somewhere quieter;
  • being accompanied by someone;
  • communication preferences.

NHS England has introduced the Reasonable Adjustment Digital Flag so that adjustment needs can be recorded and shared between publicly funded health and social care services, rather than relying on disabled people having to explain the same access requirements repeatedly.

A health passport and a reasonable-adjustment flag can be used alongside each other: the passport gives professionals more information about you; the flag records that reasonable adjustments are needed.

I want to understand this in much more depth

If a webpage or podcast is not enough, two dedicated books were published in 2026:

If you are autistic:

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

– Julie Gamble-Turner & Rachel Moseley

Best if you want: an in-depth exploration specifically centred on autistic experiences of menopause.

The book combines the authors’ research with contributions from autistic people and explores areas including sensory experiences, masking, communication, attention, memory and seeking healthcare and support

Find out more about Autistic Menopause

If you are ADHD:

Menopause and ADHD: How to Navigate Hormone Flux and Neurodivergence

– Dr Helen Wall

Best if you want: a book specifically focused on ADHD, hormones and menopause.

Dr Helen Wall is a GP, and the book looks at how ADHD may affect someone’s experience of menopause and how hormonal changes may interact with ADHD. It is available as a paperback, eBook and audiobook, which gives some choice about how you access it.

Find out more about Menopause and ADHD

Finding a neurodivergent therapist

Start with: The Neurodivergent Practitioners directory 

Best if you want: A private therapist who not only specialises in neurodivergence, but is also neurodivergent themselves.

The Neurodivergent Practitioners directory allows you to select a category (therapy, coaching, counselling etc) and then filter the results to practitioners with specific neurodivergence(s).

Full disclosure – our director Sarah Meharg is listed as an Occupational Therapist. But they have a range of other great therapists too :

Visit the Neurodivergent Therapist Directory

One final thing

At Neuroflect CIC, our focus is on understanding the interaction between the person, their body, what they are being asked to do, and the environment around them, and identifying what might need to change when that interaction changes.

Neuroflect is an organisation that can provide corporate training, and we are in the process of developing self-advocacy workshops and resources.

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And if you have any questions or queries, please contact us.