MY FIRST PERIOD
My name is Leanne, I’m 20, and have Asperger Syndrome. Like every other woman in the world, I get my period every month. Although I’m not a teen or preteen anymore, I do remember what it was like.
This article can be helpful to parents of a daughter with a disability or people who work with people with special needs such as special education teachers, speech/language therapists, occupational therapists, psychiatrists, or other people whose jobs require close contact with people with disabilities. So please read on because some of what I’m about to mention might help both you and your daughter.
My mom and I read a book about puberty and periods when I was about 9 years old. She and I had both noticed that I was starting to develop on the outside, so she knew that it was possible that I could get my period soon. I thought the book was about punctuation, because the title had the word ‘period’ in it. The book also talked about things like stuff you can use when you’re on your period, what to do if you get it while you’re at school or away from home, and other stuff about periods. If you just want to talk to your daughter about this yourself, make sure you simplify your explanation to make sure she can understand it. If you want to read a book about this with your daughter, make sure the book is appropriate to her developmental level. Social stories have also been known to work when teaching special needs kids about puberty. After I read the book, I was SO excited to get my period! It was my body’s way of saying, “You’re a woman now, Leanne!” Every time I went to the restroom, I would look for it, and one day, there it was!
