March 12–13, 2026
Speaker
Melissa Booth-Simonsen, BCBA, MSc
Owner at Positive Strategies
About Melissa Booth-Simonsen
Melissa Booth-Simonsen is UK-SBA certified. She is a behavior analyst and late-identified autistic professional. Drawing on two decades of experience across education, rehabilitation, and disability services, she integrates Acceptance and Commitment Training (ACTr) with behavior science to promote wellbeing, authenticity and inclusion in professional practice. Through Positive Strategies, she creates neurodivergent-affirming CEUs and coaching for autistic adults and professionals.
Presentation
Unmasking Burnout: How Camouflaging Drains the Autistic Professional
Friday, March 13 | 9:35AM to 10:35AM | 60 MINUTES | LIVE
This conceptual presentation examines the elevated risk of burnout among autistic professionals, particularly those who are late-diagnosed or self-identified, by analyzing camouflaging—the masking of autistic traits to meet neurotypical expectations—through a behavioral lens. Integrating empirical findings with Acceptance and Commitment Training (ACT), the session highlights how workplace contingencies often reinforce conformity over authenticity, leading to exhaustion, anxiety, and reduced wellbeing. Participants engage in reflective exercises and review organizational case examples demonstrating how flexible practices and sensory accommodations can shift reinforcement toward authenticity and equity. Camouflaging is conceptualized as rule-governed, avoidance-maintained behavior, with burnout as its long-term cost, while ACT and mindfulness processes foster psychological flexibility and values-based action. Practical strategies illustrate how redesigning contingencies enhances wellbeing, retention, and inclusion, concluding with actionable steps for individuals and organizations to support neurodivergent professionals in thriving authentically and sustainably.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Objective 1:
Describe how camouflaging functions as rule-governed and avoidance-maintained behaviour by analysing its behavioural function and explaining its contribution to burnout in autistic professionals.
Objective 2:
Identify three environmental and systemic contingencies that may unintentionally reinforce masking within professional settings by discriminating between reinforcing and non-reinforcing workplace practices.
Objective 3:
Apply at least two ACT-informed and behaviour-analytic strategies by selecting and justifying contextually appropriate responses that support authenticity, inclusion, and sustainable wellbeing at work.
Elevate Your Impact is Catalight’s annual virtual conference, dedicated to advancing person-centered care for individuals with autism and intellectual developmental disabilities (I/DDs). Offering continuing education to those who qualify, the conference features a dynamic mix of live sessions and on-demand content, providing a flexible learning experience. Elevate Your Impact is an opportunity to connect with thought leaders, gain insights and optimize care outcomes in behavioral health.