152 [S11 E7] Sparkly things and heavy loads: autistic menopause, academia and lived experience

Dr Rachel Mosely was halfway through her second postdoctoral job in autism research when she learnt that she herself had been suspected as being autistic as a child. After some investigation, she was assessed and diagnosed at the Lorna Wing Centre, aged 28.

Ten years on, Rachel is Principal academic in Psychology at Bournemouth University, where her research focuses on understanding the challenges faced by autistic people, primarily around mental health. She has a degree in Psychology and a PhD in cognitive neuroscience from Cambridge University. Together with colleagues she has conducted work on menopause as a time where autistic people can particularly struggle.

Her book, Autistic Menopause: A Guide to the Menopausal Transition for Autistic People and Those Supporting Them, was published in January this year.

The book draws on the voices of sixteen autistic experts, covering 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. It discusses how menopause can cause changes to our emotions, attention and memory, as well as affecting things like sensory issues, masking and communication, and provides tools to manage changes effectively. Above all, it provides reassurance that we're not alone.

As a child Rachel struggled with low self-esteem and poor mental health. She discovered a love for psychology and neuroscience at university, and was drawn to studying autism, as she felt a strong empathy towards other people who struggled socially, as she did.

Now she understands herself as being autistic, she hopes to encourage and empower others by showing the 'less than perfect' side of things behind the professional face.

Rachel lives in Bournemouth in the UK, where she is a devoted dog-mother to Frodo.

Squarepeg is a podcast in which I talk to other late identified autistic women and nonbinary people about their lives, their autism journeys, and what they've learned along the way.

I'm Amy Richards, and I was diagnosed autistic in 2016, when I was 37. I've been sharing my conversations with other autistic adults since 2020.

I hope you'll find these conversations inspiring and thought provoking, and that they'll help you feel more connected to a worldwide community of people with similar experiences.

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