The Blog
When You’re the First Neurodivergent Person You’ve Ever Known
This article explores the emotional journey of discovering you're neurodivergent later in life, especially when you grew up without language, validation, or community for your differences. It examines the deep loneliness, internalized shame, and self-doubt that can result from being the first neurodivergent person you’ve ever known, and the complex process of healing that follows. Through reflection, grief, and connection, late-identified autistic and ADHD adults can begin to reclaim their stories and rebuild lives rooted in self-trust and belonging.
“But You Don’t Seem Autistic”: Breaking Stereotypes & Misconceptions About Autistic Women (3/24/25 Keynote Address at Stockton University)
This article features the full text of Bridgette Hamstead’s keynote address, “But You Don’t Seem Autistic”: Breaking Stereotypes & Misconceptions About Autistic Women, delivered at Stockton University’s Neurodiversity Education and Celebration Day. It explores the harmful effects of outdated autism stereotypes, the emotional toll of masking, and the often invisible struggles of late-diagnosed autistic women and nonbinary individuals. The keynote calls for greater recognition, representation, and belief in autistic experiences—especially those that don’t fit traditional expectations.
The Silent Struggle of Postpartum Depression in Late-Diagnosed Autistic Women
Postpartum depression in late-diagnosed autistic women is often misunderstood and overlooked, as it presents not just as emotional distress but also as sensory overwhelm, executive dysfunction, and deep exhaustion from masking and societal expectations of motherhood. Many autistic mothers struggle to access appropriate support due to medical professionals’ lack of understanding, the isolating nature of neurotypical parenting spaces, and the pressure to meet unrealistic standards of caregiving. Recognizing the unique challenges autistic mothers face, advocating for accommodations, and creating sensory-friendly, structured postpartum care can make a significant difference in ensuring that autistic women receive the support they need to not just survive but thrive in motherhood.
Pregnancy as an Autistic Woman: A Sensory and Emotional Overload
Pregnancy can be an overwhelming experience for autistic women due to heightened sensory sensitivities, unpredictable bodily changes, and the challenges of navigating a healthcare system that is not designed with neurodivergent needs in mind. Medical appointments, social expectations, and emotional fluctuations can make the process exhausting, especially when communication barriers and sensory overload are not accommodated. Understanding these challenges, advocating for necessary support, and making adjustments to manage sensory and emotional well-being can help autistic women navigate pregnancy in a way that honors their unique needs.
Birth Control and the Autistic Brain: How Contraceptives Affect Mood, Sensory Sensitivities, and Mental Health
Autistic individuals often experience unique challenges with birth control, as hormonal contraceptives can intensify sensory sensitivities, mood swings, executive dysfunction, and mental health struggles. Despite these significant effects, medical professionals rarely consider autism when prescribing birth control, leaving many autistic people without adequate support or informed options. Greater awareness, research, and advocacy are needed to ensure that autistic individuals receive contraceptive care that aligns with their sensory, cognitive, and emotional needs.
PMDD, Autism, and the Hormonal Rollercoaster No One Warned Us About
Autistic women are more likely to experience severe premenstrual symptoms, including Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD), due to heightened sensory sensitivities, emotional dysregulation, and executive dysfunction challenges. Hormonal fluctuations can intensify sensory overload, trigger extreme mood swings, and disrupt daily functioning, yet medical professionals often dismiss these struggles, leaving many autistic women without proper support. Increased research, medical recognition, and awareness are urgently needed to address the intersection of autism and PMDD so that autistic individuals can access effective treatment and accommodations.
The ‘Good Girl’ Trap: How Gendered Expectations Delay Autism and ADHD Diagnoses
Late-diagnosed autistic and ADHD women often fall into the "good girl" trap, where societal expectations of politeness, compliance, and perfectionism mask their neurodivergence and delay diagnosis. This lifelong conditioning leads to chronic masking, burnout, and self-doubt, as many struggle to meet impossible neurotypical standards while feeling like they are constantly failing. Breaking free from this trap involves unmasking in safe spaces, setting boundaries, rejecting people-pleasing, and embracing self-acceptance, allowing neurodivergent women to live authentically rather than performing for the comfort of others.
Autism and Menstruation: Why Periods Are Harder for Autistic Women
Autistic women often experience menstruation more intensely due to sensory sensitivities, executive dysfunction, pain processing differences, and a lack of proper education tailored to their needs. The discomfort of menstrual products, difficulties in tracking cycles, hormonal mood swings, and medical professionals who dismiss their concerns make periods even more challenging to manage. Addressing these struggles requires better education, accessible healthcare, and accommodations that recognize the unique ways autistic women experience menstruation.
The Invisible Epidemic of Autistic Suicide: What Needs to Change Now
Autistic people face an alarmingly high risk of suicide due to lifelong social exclusion, masking, trauma, lack of accessible mental health care, and systemic neglect. Many autistic suicides go unrecognized due to misclassification, executive dysfunction, and a lack of neurodiversity-affirming crisis interventions, leaving this crisis largely invisible. Addressing autistic suicide requires systemic change, including better research, accessible mental health support, and a fundamental shift in how society values and supports autistic individuals.
Neurodivergence is Political: Why Our Fight for Justice is Intersectional
Neurodivergence is inherently political because systemic barriers in education, employment, healthcare, and legal systems disadvantage autistic and ADHD individuals, particularly those who are multiply marginalized. Discrimination against neurodivergent people is not just a personal struggle but a structural issue rooted in ableism, racism, and economic inequality. True justice requires dismantling these oppressive systems and advocating for radical change that prioritizes accessibility, inclusion, and equity across all aspects of society.
Why So Many Neurodivergent People Struggle with a Sense of Self
Neurodivergent individuals often struggle with a fractured sense of self due to factors such as alexithymia, identity masking, and the pressure to conform to neurotypical expectations. Many spend years suppressing their natural traits, leading to a disconnect from their authentic identity and internalized feelings of failure or inadequacy. However, through community, self-acceptance, and engagement with special interests, neurodivergent people can reclaim their sense of self and build an identity that embraces their unique ways of thinking, feeling, and experiencing the world. A guide to knowing yourself is included in this article.
Speaking the Truth About Autism, Gender, and Suicide: My UN Experience
Autistic girls, women, and gender-diverse individuals face significant challenges due to systemic biases, gendered expectations, and a lack of understanding about how autism presents beyond the male-centric model. These barriers lead to widespread underdiagnosis, masking, social exclusion, and limited access to gender-affirming and neuro-affirming care, all of which contribute to high rates of anxiety, depression, and suicidality. Addressing these issues requires systemic change in healthcare, education, employment, and policy to ensure that autistic individuals, regardless of gender, receive the recognition, support, and accommodations they need to thrive.