Why this matters

Not only does invisibility mean significantly worse outcomes for neurodivergent women versus their male counterparts in every area of life, it also means that our specific needs and potential go unmet.

• • Research suggests that autistic individuals may experience higher rates of menstrual health difficulties.
• • Girls with autism tend to enter puberty earlier than neurotypical girls.
• • Hormonal shifts during menstruation and pregnancy can mean neurodivergent women experience higher levels of sensory sensitivities and executive function challenges, and find emotional regulation more difficult.
• • Women with autism or ADHD are at a significantly higher risk of developing a postpartum mood and anxiety disorder and can experience intensified sensory sensitivities during the postnatal period.
• • Perimenopause and menopause, periods of intense hormonal changes, can be particularly difficult for those with neurological differences – often intensifying or uncovering specific neurodivergent traits. Although little research has been done in this area so far, many people enter this period not knowing what to expect.
• • Neurodivergent women are more disadvantaged in the workplace – they earn less and have shorter tenures than neurodivergent men.
• • Neurodivergent women are more likely to suffer from violence, sexual exploitation, abuse and coercive control than their neurotypical peers.

In short, we experience the same societal barriers, inequalities and demands as other women, only worse. From managing employees to managing the mental load, social commitments, work-life balance and life admin, the responsibilities that come with working and having responsibilities can present particular difficulties for neurodivergent women.

Whether at home or in the workplace, we need to open up the conversation about how we can better support neurodivergent women.

What we’ll talk about

It is clear that we need to open up the conversation about how we can better support neurodivergent women at home and in the workplace:

• • Improving our understanding of how neurodivergent women present.
• • Raising awareness and providing tailored, non-judgmental support during times when traits can be exacerbated (puberty, menstruation, motherhood).
• • Protecting women against poor outcomes and bias for a better quality of life in all areas.
• • Why traditional mental health, occupational health and productivity strategies often fail for us and what we can do instead.

This month’s FREE AMA session will unpack some of these challenges and issues. Using a round-table format, we’ll answer any of your questions about neurodiversity and women’s mental health at home and in the workplace. Employers, colleagues, health professionals, social prescribers, service-providers, partners, parents, friends and family members will come away with real-life insight, actionable ideas and real-word examples of reasonable adjustments in practice.

This is a great, CPD-adjacent way to listen, learn and reflect in a low-pressure environment, grounded in real experience rather than theory alone.

Our FREE AMA session on ‘Neurodiversity and women’s mental health at home and in the workplace’ will take place at 10.00 AM on 26 March 2026. You can sign up below to join live or access a recording after the session if you’re unable to make it.