ASOC ONLINE: Unmasking Together: Identity, Burnout and Partnering with Dr. Ali Perkinson.

Please join us to hear from our old friend Dr. Ali Perkinson, our original discussion leader of OCASG Friends and Fun. During this session she will discuss masking. Masking is the conscious or unconscious process by which an autistic person suppresses, alters, or performs behaviors in order to appear neurotypical and fit into social expectations.

About Dr. Ali Perkinson

Dr. Ali Perkinson is passionate about social cognition, language processing, executive functioning, and building meaningful relationships across romantic, friendship, and family contexts. She describes herself as an interpersonal detective, identifying patterns that increase connection in relationships, workplaces, and parent-child dynamics. She is both a Speech-Language Pathologist and Board-Certified Behavior Analyst and holds a doctorate in educational leadership, with additional coursework toward licensure as an educational psychologist. Her work is grounded in a neurodiversity-affirming, trauma-informed lens, shaped in part by her doctoral research on the dating experiences of autistic adults. She believes social support is a biological necessity and is committed to helping neurodivergent individuals achieve holistic, sustainable communication.