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WiNUK’s Recommended Reads: Neurodiversity Celebration Week 2026

Neurodiversity Celebration Week falls in mid-March every year. It creates space to appreciate the wide variety of brains and encourages us to recognise each for their unique strengths. What better way to celebrate than to indulge in some WiNUK blogs investigating and celebrating neurodivergence?



  1. The Age of Diagnosis: One Neurodivergent Person’s Perspective

Ciara Lee’s review of The Age of Diagnosis by Suzanne O’Sullivan explores the importance of using neuroaffirmative language - preferred by the neurodivergent community - in both clinical and general settings. She draws on her own lived experience as well as scientific research to provide insight into the power of language.



Blog cover for The Age of Diagnosis: One Neurodivergent Person’s Perspective by Ciara Lee.
Blog cover for The Age of Diagnosis: One Neurodivergent Person’s Perspective by Ciara Lee.

  1. Do Autistic Women Experience Menopause Differently?

Menopause is an incredibly underresearched aspect of life - menopause in autistic individuals even more so. Caitlin McKenzie explores new research investigating the complexities of menopause in autistic people, from having to leave the world of work to extra barriers when seeking medical help.



Blog cover for Do Autistic Women Experience Menopause Differently? by Caitlin McKenzie. It features the multicoloured silhouettes of five women and a rainbow infinity symbol, commonly used to represent the autistic community.
Blog cover for Do Autistic Women Experience Menopause Differently? by Caitlin McKenzie. It features the multicoloured silhouettes of five women and a rainbow infinity symbol, commonly used to represent the autistic community.

  1. Maternal Diet and Neurodevelopmental Conditions

The link between nutrition and brain development is well-established. Freya Wardell takes a deep dive into how a Western diet, characterised by its high intake of processed foods, may put us at greater risk of developing ADHD and autism.



Blog cover for Maternal Diet and Neurodevelopmental Conditions by Freya Wardell. The cover features a graphic of a foetus in the womb.
Blog cover for Maternal Diet and Neurodevelopmental Conditions by Freya Wardell. The cover features a graphic of a foetus in the womb.

  1. ADHD & the Brain: What’s in the Matter?

ADHD isn’t only recognisable by a list of characteristic behaviours; research has shown that it can be reliably identified through MRI scans. Aiman Muhammad considers unique microstructural patterns in ADHD brains and the pursuit of reliable biomarkers.



Blog cover for ADHD & the Brain: What’s in the Matter? by Aiman Muhammad.
Blog cover for ADHD & the Brain: What’s in the Matter? by Aiman Muhammad.

  1. Too Many Connections: How Impaired Synaptic Pruning Shapes the Autistic Brain

Shriya Singh explores signalling pathways and genes crucially involved in synaptic pruning and how they can differ in autistic people. Synaptic pruning can influence several areas of function, from movement to memory.



Blog cover of Too Many Connections: How Impaired Synaptic Pruning Shapes the Autistic Brain by Shriya Singh, which features trees with many branches.
Blog cover of Too Many Connections: How Impaired Synaptic Pruning Shapes the Autistic Brain by Shriya Singh, which features trees with many branches.

  1. Are Autistic Students Truly Accepted in Higher Education?

Ciara Lee discusses what life is really like for autistic people in higher education. She examines the support currently available and how universities can make improvements to be more accessible and inclusive.



Blog cover for Are Autistic Students Truly Accepted in Higher Education? by Ciara Lee.
Blog cover for Are Autistic Students Truly Accepted in Higher Education? by Ciara Lee.

If you’re interested in exploring more about neurodivergence, then you’ll love WiNUK Day 2026! It’ll be a day to celebrate, educate and unite on inclusive neuroscience research and research culture. 


Tickets will be available from midday today, Wednesday 18th March 2026! You can reserve tickets and learn more at https://www.womeninneuroscienceuk.org/winuk-day-2026.


This article was written by Ciara Lee and edited by Rebecca Pope, with graphics produced by Ciara Lee. If you enjoyed this article, be the first to be notified about new posts by signing up to become a WiNUK member (top right of this page)! Interested in writing for WiNUK yourself? Contact us through the blog page and the editors will be in touch.


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