In preparing for the puberty section of Human Sexuality 101 I was looking at research on methods for teaching young girls with ASD about menstruation and came across an article using Social Stories (only a preview of the article is available for free).

In short, here’s the Four P Plan for Period Support

1.  Prepare a period kit

2.  Preinstruct (perhaps using social stories)

3.  Practice

4.  Plan for pain relief

Klett & Turan used a combination of three Social Stories adapted from Mary Warbol’s “Taking Care of Myself: A Hygiene, Puberty, and Personal Curriculum for Young People with Autism” (this book is not just for girls).  They implemented the social stories before menarche (first period) and then planed to revisit them after menses began. These stories focused on growing up, what a period is, and how to take care of a period (I would reprint them but you have to be careful about Social Stories and their copy rights). They also used simulations with the girls using red syrup so they could practice changing a “used” menstrual pad.  They reviewed the social stories over several days and completed simulations over several days.  They also used different types of menstrual pads in case the girls did not always have access to the same type.  They also asked the children questions about menstruation to check for comprehension (such as “What is the blood from your vagina called?” and “Do you need to wear a pad when you don’t have your period?”).  This method proved effective in these case studies and the parents who implemented the plans where happy with it.

I have a good friend who made a menstrual kit for his daughter to start keeping in her book bag around age 11.  In a zip lock bag he placed a change of underwear, menstrual pads, Tylenol, a change of shorts, and bathroom wipes. That way, if her first period was at school, she had everything she needed and wouldn’t need to ask for support unless she wanted to. I personally think this is a wonderful idea and wish my mom had thought of it when I was middle school!  This idea has caught on because you can buy premade kits. Also, they make underwear that help keep menstrual pads in place.

I have heard that some families also preemptively use pain relief to support with discomfort and PMS.  Not all girls associate the physical discomfort with their period or are able to communicate “I feel bloated” or “I have cramps.” Although these are phrases that you can teach and prompt, some families just start using an over the counter painkiller two or three days before they anticipate the start of the period.  This isn’t foolproof because, especially when girls first start getting their period, they may have irregular cycles.