Perinatal Neurodivergency

Pregnancy and early parenthood are periods of profound neurological, sensory, and emotional change.
For those with neurodivergent differences, this transition can be uniquely complex—and often misunderstood.

Many people diagnosed (or even undiagnosed) autism, ADHD, or otherwise neurodivergent adults enter the perinatal period with strong coping strategies, insight, and resilience. Yet the demands of pregnancy, birth, and postpartum life can strain even well-developed systems of regulation, communication, and functioning.

This specialty focuses on supporting neurodivergent adults during the perinatal period with care that honors sensory needs, nervous system regulation, identity shifts, and relational dynamics—without pathologizing difference.

What Neurodivergence Can Look Like in the Perinatal Period

Neurodivergence does not disappear during pregnancy or postpartum. In fact, it often becomes more visible as routines change, sensory input increases, and expectations shift.

During the perinatal period, neurodivergent individuals may experience:

  • Heightened sensory sensitivity (sound, touch, light, sleep disruption)

  • Increased mental load and cognitive fatigue

  • Difficulty with unpredictability and loss of structure

  • Emotional overwhelm or shutdown that does not “look” like typical anxiety or depression

  • Masking exhaustion and reduced capacity to compensate

  • Identity strain as roles, autonomy, and self-concept shift

  • Communication challenges with providers, partners, or family members

These experiences are not failures of coping—they are nervous system responses to a high-demand life transition.

Why Neurodivergent Needs Are Often Missed

Neurodivergent adults—especially women and high-masking individuals—are frequently misdiagnosed, overlooked, or misunderstood during pregnancy and postpartum.

Common experiences include:

  • Being labeled “high functioning” and therefore assumed to be coping well

  • Having sensory or emotional distress minimized or misattributed

  • Receiving treatment plans that focus only on mood, not regulation

  • Feeling pressure to “push through” rather than adapt the environment

  • Difficulty advocating for needs in medical or family systems

This specialty approach slows the process down and asks different questions:
What does this nervous system need to feel safe, supported, and regulated during this transition?

Clinical Focus Areas

Therapy within this specialty may include support for:

  • Autistic and ADHD adults during pregnancy and postpartum

  • Newly identified or self-identified neurodivergence during parenthood

  • Sensory overwhelm and nervous system dysregulation

  • Emotional shutdown, irritability, or internal pressure

  • Identity changes and loss of previous structure or autonomy

  • Difficulty bonding expectations vs. lived experience

  • Burnout related to masking and caregiving demands

  • Navigating perinatal mental health with a neurodivergent partner

Care is tailored, collaborative, and respectful of neurodivergent communication and processing styles.

My approach integrates:

  • Perinatal mental health expertise

  • Neurodiversity-affirming care

  • Sensory-informed and somatic strategies

  • Behavioral and skills-based supports

  • Attachment-informed and relational work

Sessions are structured, practical, and emotionally safe. We focus not only on insight, but on reducing overwhelm, increasing regulation, and creating sustainable systems of support for both the individual and their family.

Partner & Relationship Considerations

When one or both partners are neurodivergent, the perinatal period can amplify differences in processing, sensory tolerance, communication, and emotional expression.

Support may include:

  • Psychoeducation for partners

  • Bridging communication styles

  • Reducing misinterpretation of shutdown, withdrawal, or overwhelm

  • Creating shared language around regulation and needs

  • Supporting emotional connection without forcing sameness

The goal is not to change how someone is wired—but to improve understanding, accommodation, and emotional safety within the relationship.

How I Work

Neurodivergent experiences in the perinatal period deserve informed, respectful care.

If you are navigating pregnancy or early parenthood and feel unseen, overwhelmed, or misunderstood, support is available. I invite you to reach out to learn more about whether this specialty is the right fit for you.