Bec Poulsen

My fellowship is titled - Through silence and symphony: Exploring sensory experiences, accumulative trauma, adaptive strategies, and sensory wellbeing and joy of Autistic people.

I'm delighted and excited to announce that I have been awarded the 2026 Macquarie Lighthouse Research Fellowship! Thank you to my sponsors @dianatan.bsky.social and David McAlpine. It is fantastic that I can continue my program of work here at MQ! www.mq.edu.au/research/our...

Psychometric evaluation of the Comprehensive Autistic Trait Inventory in autistic and non-autistic adults - Michael CW English, Rebecca E Poulsen, Murray T Maybery, David McAlpine, Paul F Sowman, Eliz... Measures of autistic traits are only useful – for pre-diagnostic screening, exploring individual differences, and gaining personal insight – if they efficiently...

tinyurl.com/CATIAUTISM

You can complete the CATI or want to know more, please go to www.cati-autism.com

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

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!
Open access paper tinyurl.com/CATIAUTISM

Thank you for sharing my work @thinkingautism.com 😄

This is a paid opportunity. We will be meeting in AEST time zone (UCT +10) for Zooms and asynchronously for online discussions. More info in the link, otherwise, please reach out to me or the team. Please share if you think someone might be interested. Thank you!
redcap.link/NLBadvisoryg...

We invite people who are neurodivergent - diagnosed or self ID (Autistic, ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, intellectual disability and other neurodivergencies) to join. It will involve connecting bimonthly through Zoom and online discussion boards. #participatoryresearch

Flyer titled "Neurodivergent Research Advisors Needed – Guide research on Neurodivergent auditory experiences". Who are we? The Neurodivergence and the Listening Brain (NLB) program – a research group exploring how Neurodivergent people experience sound. We want your input! Main call to action: "Help create the research that matters to you" What will you do? You will collaborate with community members and researchers to ensure the research is relevant and respectful. There are multiple ways to engage: Discuss: Give your input on research directions and topics Share: Participate flexibly, e.g., via Zoom or discussion boards Review: Provide feedback on study materials for projects Who is eligible? Adults (18+) Neurodivergent (both self-identifying and diagnosed) Comfortable with English (spoken or written) You will be remunerated for your time! How to get involved: Register your interest at: https://redcap.link/NLBadvisorygroup Register by 16 July 2025 Email: nlb_engagement@mq.edu.au

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/NLBadvisoryg...

#neurodversity #research #sensory #auditory #actuallyAutistic

Auditory environments influence the link between Autistic traits and quality of life - Scientific Reports Scientific Reports - Auditory environments influence the link between Autistic traits and quality of life

Thanks to co-authors @dianatan.bsky.social , Liz Pellicano, David McAlpine and Paul Sowman. And of course, a HUGE thank you to the almost 300 people who participated in the study! Enjoy, and please share :)
www.nature.com/articles/s41...

New original research! I’m delighted to share my (open access) paper with you about auditory environments and how they influence the link between Autistic traits and quality of life, due to sound sensitivity. Below are some of the key takeaways!

Just happened - the NIH had an entire conference on Music as Medicine! It's great to see this shift at such a macro level!! nccih.nih.gov/news/events/... #musicasmedicine

How auditory processing influences the autistic profile: A review Autistic people often have increased sensitivity to certain noises or trouble ignoring background noise, which can affect people's wellbeing and how they go about their daily lives. This review looks...

Thanks to my superstar co-authors Zack Williams, Patrick Dwyer, Liz Pellicano, Paul Sowman and David McAlpine! doi.org/10.1002/aur....

We hope this leads to a better understanding of how auditory processing might influence the Autistic profile and Autistic traits beyond auditory sensitivity. This has been a labor of love for me, and something I've been thinking on and working on for 4 years or so.

First, we look at auditory processing beyond hypersensitivity, including the neurological aspects, and the interplay with known auditory conditions. Next we review the literature about what is known about the relationship between social and non-social Autistic traits and auditory processing.

How auditory processing influences the autistic profile: A review Autistic people often have increased sensitivity to certain noises or trouble ignoring background noise, which can affect people's wellbeing and how they go about their daily lives. This review looks...

So excited our review is now published open acccess - How auditory processing contributes to the Autistic profile! And on my birthday no less! This review looks at 2 main aspects around auditory processing for Autistic people, as reported in the literature.
doi.org/10.1002/aur....

Preprint Alert! osf.io/a7kr5 Sparkly new review about how auditory processing influences the autistic profile. This's been a couple of years in the making! Thanks to my wonderful collaboarators Liz Pellicano, Zack Williams, Patrick Dwyer, Paul Sowman and David McAlpine osf.io/preprints/ps...