Webcast: Unmasking Neurodivergence - 21st August 2026
9:30am-12:45pm AEST (Brisbane Time)
Live training
with Michelle and Tony
Handouts
From the webcast date
Continuing Professional Development
Masking is one of the most misunderstood aspects of autistic experience, and one of the most significant contributors to burnout, anxiety, depression, identity confusion, and delayed diagnosis. Many autistic adults describe masking as both a survival strategy and a source of profound exhaustion. Professionals often see the consequences long before they recognise the cause.
Our 3-hour presentation brings parents, autistic adults and professionals together to explore the why, how, and what next of unmasking. We will unpack the science of masking, the lived‑experience realities, and the mental‑health implications across the lifespan. Participants will learn how to recognise masking in themselves or the people they support, how to differentiate masking from coping, and how to approach unmasking in ways that are safe, paced, and aligned with personal values.
Our presentation is suitable for autistic adults, late‑identified neurodivergent people, mental‑health clinicians, educators, support workers, and anyone committed to neurodiversity‑affirming practice.
Describe what masking is, why it develops, and how it functions as a survival strategy.
Distinguish masking from social learning, coping, and skill development.
Identify how chronic masking contributes to anxiety, depression, autistic burnout, and identity fragmentation.
Understand the link between masking and late or missed diagnosis.
Recognise common masking behaviours in autistic people across different contexts (school, work, relationships, healthcare, education).
Use reflective tools to map one’s own masking profile or support someone else to do so.
Understand the risks of sudden or unsupported unmasking.
Learn how to pace unmasking in ways that protect emotional regulation, identity, and safety.
Use practical tools to reduce the need for masking in daily life.
Learn strategies to build environments, relationships, and routines that allow for authenticity.
Understand how unmasking relates to long‑term mental health, identity development, and self‑acceptance.
Develop strategies for ongoing support, self‑advocacy, and community connection.
9:30am-12:45pm AEST (Brisbane Time)