Document Type
Article
Abstract
Research suggests that perimenopause can compound existing struggles for some Autistic people, with potentially catastrophic consequences. Barriers to self-expression due to communication differences are also well-documented. Acknowledging this, our neurodiverse research team invited creative submissions themed around Autistic experiences of menopause, receiving works from six Autistic participants including paintings, poetry, and graphic works. Engaging with the six creative submissions, Autistic Community Researchers on our team produced reflexive, polytextual response works. Creative exploration of Autistic menopause encouraged emotional catharsis, self-understanding, and activism/artivism. Autistic Community Researchers noted transcendent, almost “magical” dimensions of connecting with other Autistic people’s lived experiences. Our creative emancipatory approach enabled Autistic, multimedia responses which traditional research methods would not have elicited. To our knowledge, no other studies to date have used arts-based research to explore Autistic people’s experiences of menopause and inclusive research practices.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
Publication Info
Published in International Journal of Disability and Social Justice, Volume 5, Issue 1, 2025, pages 76-105.
Rights
© 2025, Mx Rose Matthews, Christine A. Jenkins, Margaret Janse van Rensburg, Miranda J. Brady, Rachel L. Moseley, and Julie M. Gamble-Turner. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives Licence (CC BY-NC-ND) 4.0 DEED https://creativecommons.org/licenses/bync-nd/4.0/deed.en, which permits the use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited, the material is not modified and is not being used for commercial purposes
APA Citation
Matthews, M. R., Jenkins, C. A., Janse van Rensburg, M., Brady, M. J., Moseley, R. L., & Gamble-Turner, J. M. (2025). Stepping into Who I Fully Am: A Creative Exploration of Autistic Menopause. International Journal of Disability and Social Justice, 5(1). https://doi.org/10.13169/intljofdissocjus.5.1.0004