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How can I go about helping my autistic non verbal daughter understand and get through her first menstrual?

A MyAutismTeam Member asked a question 💭
Truth Or Consequences, NM

Hello, I'm not going to lie it's been beautiful, stressful, heartwarming, exhausting, and so many more emotions. She is trying to talk. She can say some words, mainly yes and no. She has problems with 'T's and 'D's more than anything. She just finally got potty trained 2 year ago, we tried for so long and finally we managed to get her use to it. She now loves to scream her head off in very high pitched screams, it's enough to break glass. She has started to try and hit, we are trying to stop… read more

July 24
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A MyAutismTeam Member

Try this resource it has been helpful with many subjects that are on the Autism Speaks and the autism society of your state

National Autistic Society
https://www.autism.org.uk › .

Autism Parenting Magazine
https://www.autismparentingmagazine.com › autism-girls...

AN autistic individual can get free sanitary or incontinence products through specific health insurance programs, community initiatives, or public assistance. Eligibility depends on whether the supplies are for menstrual care or medical incontinence (such as pull-ups or diapers) and the specific rules of your state or local programs.Insurance and Medicaid Coverage for IncontinenceMedicaid benefits: If an autistic child or adult experiences ongoing incontinence and meets age minimums (usually starting around age 3 or 4), state Medicaid programs often cover medical supplies.Medical necessity: You will need a prescription or a letter of medical necessity from a doctor linking the diagnosis (like autism) to the need for supplies.Supply providers: Specialized medical suppliers like Aeroflow Urology work directly with insurance and Medicaid plans to ship free monthly quotas of approved items to your home.Community and School ProgramsPublic schools and colleges: Many educational institutions provide free period products in restrooms or through student health offices to combat period poverty.Special initiatives: Certain non-profits and disability advocacy groups run targeted programs to supply specialized items like sensory-friendly period underwear to neurodivergent students.

Autism Parenting Magazine – For you and your child
Autism Parenting Magazine – For you and your child
https://www.autismparentingmagazine.com
National Autistic Society
National Autistic Society
https://www.autism.org.uk
July 24
MyAutismTeam

First, take a breath — what's being described here is genuinely hard, and the love and dedication shown for this daughter is clear in every word. The milestones she's hitting? Incredible. Crying happy tears over spelling words is completely valid. 💛

Helping a minimally verbal autistic child understand menstruation takes Show Full Answer

First, take a breath — what's being described here is genuinely hard, and the love and dedication shown for this daughter is clear in every word. The milestones she's hitting? Incredible. Crying happy tears over spelling words is completely valid. 💛

Helping a minimally verbal autistic child understand menstruation takes patience and creativity, but her strengths — recognizing numbers, knowing her alphabet, spelling — are actually wonderful tools to work with.

Here are some approaches that may help:

- Social stories — Simple, visual step-by-step picture books explaining what a period is, what it feels like, and what to do. These can be custom-made or found online
- Visual schedules — A calendar showing when her period might come so it feels predictable, not scary
- Sensory-friendly products — Period underwear may feel less intrusive than pads for someone with sensory sensitivities
- Practice runs — Introduce pads before her period arrives so the sensation isn't a shock
- Simple, direct language — Short, clear sentences work best. Avoid indirect or vague explanations Since she responds to emotions so strongly, staying calm and matter-of-fact when introducing this topic will help her feel safe rather than alarmed. That emotional attunement she has is actually a sign of deep sensitivity — it just means the delivery of new information matters as much as the information itself.

Requesting support from a school occupational therapist or a board-certified behavior analyst (BCBA) could also be really valuable here. A BCBA can help create a personalized plan, and an OT can address the sensory side of things — both at home and at school.

Speaking of school — pushing for staff who truly understand the difference between a meltdown and a tantrum is worth advocating for. Those are very different things, and a child should never be sent home for having a meltdown rooted in sensory overwhelm.

As a MyAutismTeam member once said, *"Hope NEVER fades."* Every small step forward is real progress — and there have clearly been many of those already.

July 24

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