Have you ever felt like you had to hide some part of you – just to be accepted and not judged??
This is the everyday reality for several autistic individuals who try to “mask” their real personalities to fit into a world that misunderstood neurodiversity and the reality is masking might help someone blend in, but actually it comes with the cost of emotional burnout.
So in this blog you will get to know that it is not just about autism, it is about making an environment where everyone feels safe and being exactly who they are.
Masking in Autism
Masking is also known as camouflaging, it means the conscious or unconscious suppression of real autistic behaviours and adopting alternative behaviours just to appear normal.
Let’s discuss an example to understand this better..
- A teenage boy laughs at jokes in which he doesn’t understand and tries to copy how his classmates talk, just to avoid being called “weird or ugly.”
- A girl who likes spinning in circles and humming quietly stops herself in society because her parents asked her to “act normal” and after some time she learns to control those calming behaviours to avoid misjudgment.
Why do Autistic People Mask Themself?
- For social acceptance
- To ignore negative reactions
- For professional and educational expectations
- And for safety to avoid judgment in various conditions
When Fitting In Impacts on Mental Health for Autistic Individuals?
- Emotional Tiredness – By constantly controlling natural behaviours just to fit in society can lead to mental tiredness.
- Depression and anxiety – The pressure of acting like neurotypicals results in symptoms of anxiety and depression.
- Delay in Diagnosis – Masking symptoms of autistic traits, can cause late or missed diagnosis, especially in case of females.
- Confusion or misunderstanding – Daily habit of hiding one’s true self can cause misunderstanding about real identity.
- Isolation – Even after putting efforts to fit in the society, individuals may still feel disconnected, and this can lead to feelings of loneliness.
- Burnout – Persistent making behaviour can result in autistic burnout, associated with fatigue and reduction in functionality.
- Overlooked Support – Behaving neurotypicals might prevent someone from getting necessary help and support.
- Impact on Regular Task – Mental strain can affect daily activities and responsibilities.
- Wrong self perception – Continuous masking signs can lead to internalizing negative thoughts about themselves.
Can being true help autistic people feel better mentally?
Living as someone that you are not can result in a serious issue, especially for autistic people who mask their true selves just to fit in society. But in the real world, unmasking leads to powerful mental health benefits.
Let’s discuss some benefits of unmasking on mental health;
- Alleviate Emotional Burden – Unmasking symptoms reduces emotional burden and stress and increases energy.
- Reduces Symptoms of depression and anxiety – Masking is interlinked to depression, and we can reduce this mental struggle through unmasking.
- Self Understanding and Acceptance – Identifying and accepting real identity promotes self positive image which is essential for mental health.
- Improves social circle – Being true allows for more genuine communications and interactions which can lead to meaningful relationships.
Promotes Timely Diagnosis and Support – Early diagnosis will ensure that individuals can receive proper support and resources.
Why are autistic females more likely to mask their symptoms and signs?
Autistic females often involve in “masking” controlling or hiding their symptoms to full-fill social expectations and avoid stigma. Sometimes, this behaviour is helpful in social integration, but majorly it can lead to mental health disturbances and delayed diagnosis.
Before starting let’s take an example – A girl enjoys flapping her hands when she is happy and excited as it helps her to express joy and energy, but being bullied by classmates and asking her to keep her hands normal. After this episode she started to hide that expression and eventually she trains herself to control even when she feels overwhelmed.
Let’s find out – why??
- To full-fill expectation of society
Generally, society expects women and girls to be adaptive socially, empathetic, and compliant. These gendered kinds of expectations can put extra pressure on autistic females to control behaviours that deviate them from these regulations, which can result in masking their true selves.
- Wanting Social Acceptance
Several autistic females mask to fit in with their friends, family or circles to avoid bullying or meet the simple expectations of family.
- Biases in Diagnostic
For many years criteria of diagnosis for autism have been based on males, which can cause clinicians to overlook or misunderstood symptoms in females. And this results in misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis for females.
- Mimic Social Behaviour or Etiquette
Mostly females developed these kinds of strategies like – mimic social behaviours (rehearsing conversations or copying others) This makes autism more unnoticeable.
- Cultural Pressure
In some cultures, discussing or talking about neurodivergence is unacceptable, which can lead to masking symptoms and signs to meet societal norms and prevent discrimination, and resulting in lack of self recognition and delay in diagnosis.
- Fear of Stigma
Autistic females have fear of being judged or misunderstood, so they control their traits to avoid wrong judgments. This feeling can prevent them from getting diagnosis or support on time.
Hence, that is why understanding the reasons behind masking in autistic girls and womens is important for developing more detailed diagnostic criteria and support groups that recognize and evaluate their sufferings.
Summing Up..
- Unmasking Autism is not just about controlling symptoms, it’s about giving individuals space to be who they are without thinking of shame, exhaustion, or fear.
- Historically, many autistic people, especially females have felt the pressure to conceal, laughing to express, express their needs, and just act “normal.” But why???
- Finally when we get to know why people mask and what it does on mental health, we make the way to a more compassionate world- in which individuals can celebrate neurodiversity instead of asking it to control.
- So whether you are an autistic individual trying to work on your true self, a parent looking to support your child better, this all starts with awareness and acceptance of the fact.
So let us start moving forward by creating a safe place where no one has to hide or control their emotions because everyone deserves to live unmasked and genuinely themselves.
Curious about understanding your special mind? Follow Rachna Sawhney Pargi Journey for Autistic Child Support
In supporting Autistic Children for more insightful content on neurodiversity, mental wellbeing, and thriving in a world that clings every unique brain.
“Every thoughts is an experiment” This was mine —
Written by Prachi – May,2025
Reference
- Khudyakova V, Le JM, Chasteen AL. To mask or not to mask: The role of concealment behavior, stigma experience, and community connectedness in autistic people’s mental health. Neurodiversity. 2024 Jan 1;2.
- Garcia E, Keane M. How “unmasking” leads to freedom for autistic and other neurodivergent people : Life Kit. NPRorg. 2022 Apr 18
- Pearson A, Rose K. A Conceptual Analysis of Autistic Masking: Understanding the Narrative of Stigma and the Illusion of Choice. Autism in Adulthood. 2021 Jan 22;3(1):52–60.
- Halsall J, Clarke C, Crane L. “Camouflaging” by adolescent autistic girls who attend both mainstream and specialist resource classes: Perspectives of girls, their mothers and their educators. Autism. 2021 May 9;25(7):136236132110128.
- Chapman L, Rose K, Hull L, Mandy W. “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. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders. 2022 Nov 1;99(99):102069.
- Alaghband-rad J, Hajikarim-Hamedani A, Motamed M. Camouflage and masking behavior in adult autism. Frontiers in Psychiatry. 2023 Mar 16;14(14).
