Masking with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Good or A Bad Way of Communication?

Covering your true self is an unpleasant and tiring process. That is an everyday reality for many autistic people. Autistic people frequently feel the need to show or imitate neurotypical social behaviours in areas where the entire spectrum of neurodiversity is not recognized or embraced. Several people could also believe that they must conceal neurodiverse tendencies to gain acceptance.

Autism masking can occasionally shield autistic people from being bullied at school or employment. This is not necessarily purposeful conduct, which might cause misunderstanding regarding a specific individual. Masking, irrespective of purpose, can have major health consequences, so it’s critical to understand the habit and its repercussions on people who regularly cover their neurodivergent identities.

Masking is a social survival technique. It can manifest itself in a variety of ways, depending on the individual, however, it can involve actions such as these:

• forcing or faking eye contact
• mimicking expressions of other people
• imitating gestures
• downplaying personal interests
• creating a vocabulary of rehearsed answers to queries
• enduring acute sensory distress, including loud noises

The Effects of Autism Masking

Masking may be prominent in places with inadequate support for neurodiverse individuals or where people on the autistic spectrum face immediate danger. However, while masking may have some advantages, it is important to recognize that there are major drawbacks.

Time spent acquiring neurotypical behaviours is time not spent developing other aspects of one’s personality. Furthermore, the energy required to mimic neurotypical behaviours can ultimately result in social stress.

Here are a few examples of the consequences of frequent masking:

• Identity Loss: People who conceal their identity, interests, and characteristics develop low self-esteem as though they no longer know who they are. Some people may feel that masking is like self-betrayal, or maybe they’re feeling others.
• Stress and Anxiety: Individuals who mask their autistic traits frequently, have a high level of stress and anxiety as compared to the ones who mask themselves less often.
• Exhaustion: Masking yourself is a tedious task as it takes a lot of effort and energy. People who constantly mask themselves to please neurotypical standards are usually tired as it takes a lot of effort.
• Autistic Burnout: When people force themselves to engage in behaviours that don’t feel genuine, the outcome could be an overwhelming sense of stress, which is frequently referred to as autistic burnout. Masking may necessitate a lengthy time of calm abstinence and rehabilitation.

People may hide their autism symptoms for a variety of reasons, including advancing their jobs, connecting with others, and avoiding judgment from others. Masking might be useful at times, but it can have major consequences for one’s mental and physical health.

Striving for an environment in which neurodiverse people are embraced as they are, and individuals are treated respectfully and kindly regardless of how they interact in neurotypical ways or not, is one initiative to reduce the negative impacts of masking autism.