Dr/Dj Bec “BeXta” Poulsen

@djBeXta

Neuroscience Researcher by day, Dj and music producer by night. Postdoc researching Autism, neuroscience, and auditory processing. #AutisticsinAcademia 💛

Australia Joined April 2009

610 Following 1.2K Followers 2.1K Posts

Latest posts 5

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Dr/Dj Bec “BeXta” Poulsen @djBeXta Oct 28

Thrilled to share our shiny new Perspective piece with you - Toward Sensory Accounts of Autistic Masking: A Perspective

Thanks to collaborators Tim Chan, Mel Heyworth and Diana Tan.

Out now at @AutismAdulthood

shorturl.at/8GZQ0

AUTISTIC SENSORY MASKING
What happens when we hide our sensory responses?
Our new Perspective explores how sensory experiences are woven into Autistic masking — drawing on research and our own lived experiences.
-Masking isn’t only social.
Autistic people may suppress, inhibit, or override responses to sound, light, touch, movement, or internal bodily cues — within and beyond social situations.
-Sensory masking may be learned.
Repeated experiences of sensory overwhelm, invalidation, or feeling unsafe may shape responses that become increasingly automatic over time.
-Sustained sensory masking may come at a cost.
Continually overriding sensory needs may contribute to exhaustion, distress, hypervigilance, or burnout. Masking can also serve a useful purpose in particular contexts.
-Safety and choice make a difference.
Sensory-friendly environments, opportunities for self-regulation, and acceptance of natural sensory responses can support autonomy, wellbeing, and sensory unmasking.

Dr/Dj Bec “BeXta” Poulsen @djBeXta May 5

Chuffed that our review on how auditory processing influences the Autistic profile has been so well received since being published in 2024. I started thinking about this review in 2021 😅 . lnkd.in/g27jJVWk

Dr/Dj Bec “BeXta” Poulsen @djBeXta Aug 18, 2025

I'm delighted and excited to announce that I have been awarded the 2026 @Macquarie_Uni Lighthouse Research Fellowship! Thank you to my sponsors Diana Tan and @davidmcalpine4 . It is fantastic that I can continue my program of work here at MQ! mq.edu.au/research/our-r…

www.mq.edu.au Macquarie University Lighthouse Fellowships (MQLF) The scheme provides an incubation period for early career researchers to increase their competitive edge in securing non-University sources of funding.

Dr/Dj Bec “BeXta” Poulsen @djBeXta Jul 20, 2025

New paper alert! We psychometrically validated the Comprehensive Autistic Trait Inventory. Please check it out. The main takeaways are below, but this has been such a wonderful project, starting in 2022, and is now finally out! tinyurl.com/CATIAUTISM

Understanding Autistic Traits with the CATI
Our new study confirms the CATI is a reliable, inclusive tool to explore Autistic traits!
What is the CATI?
The Comprehensive Autistic Trait Inventory (CATI) is a 42-item questionnaire designed with Autistic input. It explores six key trait areas — like sensory sensitivity, masking, and self-regulatory behaviours (all traits named or endorsed by an Autistic focus group)
What did we do?
We tested the CATI with over 2,600 adults. Half were Autistic (diagnosed and self-identifying) and half non-Autistic people to check ensure it is a valid and reliable measure of autistic traits for both autistic and non-autistic adults.
Autistic-led and community-shaped
This is an Autistic co-led paper, that was steered by the community which included a review of the original CATI trait names and question wording.
Read the paper open access  https://tinyurl.com/CATIAUTISM
You can complete the CATI or want to know more  www.cati-autism.com

Dr/Dj Bec “BeXta” Poulsen @djBeXta Jul 6, 2025

I’m thrilled to be sharing this opportunity with you. Our team is recruiting a neurodivergent advisory group. Our work spans experiential (interviews), perception (listening tasks) and auditory neuroscience. redcap.link/NLBadvisorygro…