What is masking in autism?

Masking (also called camouflaging) is the process of suppressing or hiding autistic traits to fit into neurotypical environments and expectations. It can include:

— Forcing eye contact even when it causes intense discomfort — Suppressing stims in public (hand-flapping, rocking) — Rehearsing conversations in advance — Imitating other people's mannerisms, jokes, and reactions — Hiding special interests for being seen as too much or weird — Pretending to understand social situations that were not actually understood

The cost of masking: it is extremely energy-intensive. Many autistic people describe masking as playing a character all day long, which is deeply exhausting. Prolonged masking is strongly linked to autistic burnout, depression, and anxiety.

Masking as a reason for late diagnosis: people who mask effectively often go undiagnosed because they seem fine, especially autistic women, who tend to mask more intensely. Diagnosis often comes when masking breaks down, during burnout, life transitions, or accumulated exhaustion.

The neurodiversity movement encourages safe spaces to unmask, where autistic people can be themselves without social punishment.