Autistic Masking is Complicated
Autistic people experience the masking of outwardly obvious Autistic ‘traits’ and expression as individuals, dependent on diverse personal experiences and situations which means: there isn’t one definitive way to define masking.
Essentially, the most basic definition of masking I can come up with is: suppressing natural Autistic needs such as stimming and ways of expressing ourselves (ex: tangentially) and instead working hard to adhere to the Neuronormative expected ways of interacting with others.
The individual experience of masking also makes it especially difficult to define the very experience of masking.
There are Autistic people who do not experience the need or ability to mask their Autistic expression as well as Autistic people who do mask regularly and still experience masking distinctly differently from one another.
Because of the unique differences described above as well as many more which are not covered here - there is a lot of disagreement in Autism servers and forums as well as within Autistic academic circles about what masking is and what we should do about it.
All of the complexity related to Autistic masking makes it more challenging for Autistic folks to learn more about their own experiences and relationship to masking as well as additional challenges for service providers who wish to best support the clients they serve on this topic.
This blog post serves as a primer for a variety of factors which impact ones experience with masking as an Autistic person. It cannot possibly encompass all experiences or nuance connected to Autistic masking.
Neuronormative society and the need to mask Autistic expression
Many Autistic people mask without recognizing it because we live in societies which require it of us in order to survive. This may seem dramatic, however, if you have ever had the experience of people rejecting, shunning, shaming and even abusing you for acting in a certain way, that was in no way harmful to anyone around you including yourself, you may better understand the pressure Autistic people are under to mask in order to prevent themselves from harm.
In Neuronormative societies we are expected to act and interact in very specific ways. Our role in any given situation dictates the specifics of these behavioral expectations, and while many Autistic people can be adept at learning these social rules and even performing them - both the understanding of and performance of each of these “pro-social behaiors” and expectations often do not come naturally to us. Because we are having to put more energy than the average person into recognizing and abiding by Neuronormative social expectations, we are often physically, mentally and emotionally exhausted after suppressing our natural way of expressing ourselves and instead performing the expected behaviors.
Wide Spectrum of Autistic Masking
There is a wide spectrum of Autistic masking which ranges anywhere from those of us who are physically, mentally and emotionally unable to both perceive social cues and perform any level of masking to those of us who are considered “high masking” due to our ability to both recognize and perform convincingly enough to the Neuronormative social interaction standards and expectations. Those who are unable to mask are treated very differently by others in a Neuronormative society than those who are High- Masking. Both are Autistic. Both are disabled in their own ways (though not all Autistic folks identify with disability). Both Autistic people who can and cannot mask can experience harmful treatment by peers due to how we are perceived, and yet it is important to note those who are High-Masking are more likely to be accepted and are technically safer to participate in society than those who cannot.
Autistic people with high support needs (or HSN - which is a term for the recognition of types of needs and not a perceived level of ‘functioning’ which is generally accepted as being more affirming and accurate) are more likely to experience physical harm by others than those with medium or low support needs (abbreviated as MSN and LSN, respectively). It is important to note this as many Autistic people with HSN explain how those who are unable to mask are the most marginalized and need representation, understanding and support for safety. This is yet another example of how folks not fitting a Neuronormative view are harmed by the (entirely made up) requirements within such a society.
The Experience of Autistic Masking
For those who can mask - whether it be infrequently or those who essentially live with a mask, 24/7 - it is an exhausting task. If you are not Autistic and have not experienced the need to suppress your needs and natural expression way, the best way I can describe the experience is:
Imagine your acceptance and safety within the society and community you live in hinges on your ability to be constantly consciously aware of another person‘s expectations of how you act.
Meaning:
what you say,
how you say it,
when you say it,
at what rate of speed you say it,
how to move (or don’t move) your body as you interact,
how much and what type of eye contact is required within this type of interaction, etc.
This was a non-exhaustive list of what Autistic people are expected to be consciously aware of within interactions with others. As the items listed above are not necessarily qualities all Autistic people are naturally able to express, and especially not in the Neuronormative expected ways - it can be especially grueling to maintain.
If you feel like you are not Autistic, but you have to pay attention to those things as well, then add on the differences that an Autistic person experiences sensory-wise as a means to better understand. Some Autistic folks are hypersensitive to sound, light, temperature, etc. whereas others of us are hypo-sensitive to all of the senses listed. Each of these sensory experiences impacts an individual's energy level which then impacts the ability to attune to the people and the environment around us.
Then, take into consideration, the fact that Autistic brains are hyper-wired. Meaning Autistic brains maintain more synapses than non-autistic brains after undergoing the synaptic pruning process and various stages of brain development. Having more neural connections in Autistic brain means the average Autistic brain is using 42% more energy just by thinking than a non-Autistic brain can. This means an Autistic brain is already more intensely experiencing anything, including socializing and existing in social spaces.
If the above explanation doesn’t seem like a recipe for burnout; I don’t know what does.
Differences in Experience With Masking
Autistic people who are unable to mask report feeling ostracized from those in Neuronormative societies, as they are not accepted for who they are and how they express themselves due to the fact they can’t comply with the expectations of expression. It is the individuals within a Neuronormative society who uphold these norms and actively engage is the ostracization of non-masking Autistic people, though most seem to be unaware of the impact of this treatment. Autistic people who are unable to mask often express wanting to participate in society, though not necessarily via masking - mostly through acceptance and understanding of their individual forms of expression.
It is also important to note that Autistic people with any level of support needs (High, Medium and Low) can experience the inability to mask. Some Autistic people can mask infrequently (of when they have the capacity to do so) and other Autistic people are unable to mask regardless of how much capacity they have.
Autistic people, in general, report different feelings towards their masking experiences. These feelings range from appreciation for the ability to mask in situations where is it needed to be safe (though frustrated at existing in a world that requires this of us), to Autistic people who express a complete and total sense of disdain for the need to do mask at all, to those of us who accept the expectation the need to continue to mask in order to access an income, etc.
Neurobiological Reasons for the Ability to Mask our Autistic Expression
Autistic people are also known to have more mirror neurons in our brains - which is a normal and natural neural connection which helps humans imitate one another. Imitating other people is a natural part of social and emotional development in humans. Autistic people can be adept at mimicking what they recognize in others, which allows some of us to mask within certain groups of people or situations in a way non-Autistic people may not be able to do with fewer mirror neurons in their brains.
It’s possible (though I have yet to read anything concluding this, so it is unproven theory) the Autistic people who are unable to mask their Autistic expression may have fewer mirror neurons than the average Autistic person or there may be a co-occuring disability such as Apraxia, or other neurobiological explanation as to why. Potential for a simple neurobioligical difference and societal expectations for the level of distress experienced by Autistic people who are unable to mask…wouldn’t be surprising if you have followed the history of Autistic people’s treatment by others through history.
In Conclusion
Autistic masking is a complicated concept and experience in part because no two Autistic people experience the internal process, the external expression or the situational experiences the same way.
Safety Note on Autistic Masking
It is important for service providers to recognize Autistic masking is not always something that is recognized by the person doing the masking, because they are socially pressured, and even at times required, to mask in order to assimilate into Neuronormative society. Because of this, masking is often needed to maintain safety.
Both, for Autistic people who are able to mask and for Autistic people who are unable to mask, it is often reported Autistic people in general experience ostracization, bullying, harassment, and even abuse by the people in their lives due to the warped perception of our natural expression.
For Autistic people who are high masking it is reported the people in their lives still noticed something different or ‘off’ about them, even when no one would have guessed they are Autistic.
For Autistic people who are unable to mask, it is reported they feel misunderstood and unaccepted for how they interact differently from what is expected in a Neuronormative society.
Autistic masking needs to be better understood by service providers so that we can best support clients in our care - whether it be safely unmasking in situations where that is necessary and possible as well as support in finding ways to maintain it when it is needed for safety purposes.
Whether you are Autistic or not - sharing diverse perspectives from Autistic people’s lived experience with masking is important for more people to learn about us from us.
Additional resources to read about the lived experience and research on Autistic masking in adults:
Books:
Taking Off the Mask Practical Exercises to Help Understand and Minimise the Effects of Autistic Camouflaging by Hannah Louise Belcher
Autistic Masking by Amy Pearson and KIeran Rose
Research Articles:
“Masking Is Life”: Experiences of Masking in Autistic and Nonautistic Adults Danielle Miller, BSc, Jon Rees, MBBS, and Amy Pearson, PhD Autism Adulthood. December 2021; 3(4): 330–338. Published online 2021 Dec 7.
“I want to fit in… but I don’t want to change myself fundamentally”: A qualitative exploration of the relationship between masking and mental health for autistic teenagers” Louise Chapman, Kieran Rose, Laura Hull, William Mandy Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders Volume 99, November 2022
Online Assessment:
Embrace Autism - CAT-Q https://embrace-autism.com/cat-q/
