Ep. 127 - Puberty with Autism in the Mix with Betsy

About this episode

Rashidah Cartwright and Betsy Matthews discuss the challenges and insights of navigating puberty with a neurodivergent daughter.

In this episode of Autism for Badass Moms , Rashidahsits down with Betsy Matthews — proud autism mum, university careers consultant, advocate, marathon runner, and host of The Diary of an Autism Mum podcast — to have an honest conversation about navigating puberty witha neurodivergent daughter. Betsy shares how watching her daughter Sienna move through monthly hormonal patterns was eye-opening — and how her own fears sometimes spoke louder than reality. From considering medical intervention todiscovering practical solutions like period underwear, this conversation highlights the power of observation, flexibility, and trust. In this episode, we talk about: 00:00 Badass Moms Welcome 01:23 Puberty Fears and Questions 02:20 Meet Betsy Matthews 04:30 Sienna Puberty Started Early 05:20 Diagnosis Journey Begins 09:44 Hearing Autism and Grief 11:55 Communication Tools and ABA 13:58 School Placement Turning Point 15:31 Obsessions Books and Regulation 19:57 Periods Arrive and Solutions 24:45 Hormones Mood and Patterns 27:45 Managing Meltdowns and Pain 30:21 Reading Pain Signals 32:32 Behavior vs Real Distress 33:23 Support Network and Respite 36:28 Trusting Your Childs Instincts 38:06…

People in this episode

Host: Rashidah Cartwright

Guest: Betsy Matthews

Topics covered

• puberty
• autism
• parenting
• neurodivergence
• hormonal changes
• support networks

Keywords

• autism
• puberty
• parenting
• hormones
• support
• communication
• self-care

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: The Diary of an Autism Mum

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