Many researchers suggest that masking behavior is exercised due to the stigma that has developed around autism. Autistic individuals and their parents experience a lot of negative views about autism, according to a study from 2019. Autistic masking is a complicated topic, and we will try to shed more light on the subject via this article. It is important to understand masking, as it is theorized that it may harm autistic people.

Camouflage and Masking Behavior

Masking behavior in autistic individuals refers to the conscious or unconscious effort to hide or camouflage autistic traits to fit into a predominantly neurotypical world. It is described as a survival strategy that often develops in childhood, shaped by social pressures and the desire to avoid stigma, bullying, or exclusion. High-masking autistic individuals are particularly skilled at this camouflage, making their autism less visible to others, including healthcare professionals. This can result in delayed or missed diagnoses, as their challenges are often misattributed to conditions like anxiety, shyness, or personality disorders.

Social anxiety is often a misdiagnosis for high-masking autistic individuals. Masking/camouflaging requires a high level of hypervigilance—constantly adapting one’s body language, tone, and language to fit in. High-masking persons develop a keen eye for judgment and criticism. They are highly self-aware of social missteps, and they adapt their behavior based on perceived judgment. High-masking individuals also tend to experience heightened anxiety in social situations. The processing of social feedback can put a significant strain on the mental health of a person with ASD.

Given the high prevalence of social anxiety disorder within the Autistic community, as research shows, it is considered good practice to offer Autism screening when diagnosing social anxiety in a patient.

How is Social Anxiety Different from Masking?

Social anxiety involves pervasive anxiety in social situations and interactions. It is based on fear that you will be judged, embarrassed, or humiliated in a social setting. Symptoms include:

• Worry about embarrassing or humiliating oneself;
• Fear of negative judgment;
• Intense fear of interacting with strangers;
• Fear of being noticed as anxious;
• Avoidance of situations where one might be the center of attention;
• Anxiety in anticipation of social events;
• Ruminating on social performance;
• Expecting the worst in social situations.

A person must have persistent differences from a neurotypical model in three areas of social communication and interaction, plus at least two of four types of repetitive behaviors, to be considered an individual with Autism. We talk more about this in our article “How to Get Tested for Autism as an Adult”.

People on the spectrum may exhibit social anxiety, but that is only a part of their health profile. ASD individuals often have deficits in understanding and use of gestures, they frequently lack interest in their peers, and might engage in repetitive behavior. Individuals who cope with social anxiety tend to feel sadness and strain when socially isolated. On the other hand, ASD individuals may feel more comfortable with less social engagement. Many Autistic people have a high need for alone time and can be easily entertained by their inner worlds and interests.

If you want to learn more about the differences between ASD and Social Anxiety, you might want to hop onto the “Neurodivergent Insights” Blog.

How Do Autistic Individuals Describe Masking?

Autistic people have described masking as a practice where:

1. You are hyper-vigilant.

2. You carefully control and adjust yourself when you have to express your needs, preferences, opinions, interests, personality, mannerisms, and appearance based on the real or anticipated reactions of others, both in the moment and over time.

3. You constantly plan what you want to say to someone (known as ‘scripting’).

4. You ask more questions than you may be comfortable with or interested in, just so you can seem involved.

This constant vigilance and effort to adapt can lead to profound mental and physical fatigue, often referred to as “social hangovers” or “autistic burnout”. There's the anxiety of being "found out" and the mask slipping, which autistic individuals may have been conditioned to believe is unacceptable.

There's also the anxiety that comes from misinterpreting social cues despite their best efforts, leading to social missteps that can feel deeply embarrassing or shameful. This fear can make social situations, even those with friends, feel like navigating a minefield. Many high masking individuals report a sense of inauthenticity or a fragmented identity.

A research article in the “Autism in Adulthood” journal (Volume 6, No. 2, June 17th, 2024), shows that “self-reported autistic masking behaviors were associated with higher reports of past interpersonal trauma, specifically being shamed and teased about autistic traits, and broader experiences of emotional and physical abuse. Masking was also associated with greater anxiety and more depression symptoms, lower self-esteem, lower authentic living, greater acceptance of external influence, higher self-alienation, and lower participation within the autistic community. Autistic masking was not found to be associated with gender identity or sexual orientation.”

Unmasking

The practice of high-masking, or camouflaging, in autism is born from a complex interplay of societal pressures and individual experiences. Despite appearing “successful” in social or professional contexts, high-masking individuals may feel disconnected from their authentic selves. Over time, this dissonance can erode self-esteem and cause depression.

Learning to unmask is a gradual and personal journey that can be daunting. Unmasking is not about abandoning learned social skills, but about making conscious choices about when and with whom to be authentic. The benefits can include reduced social anxiety, increased energy, improved self-esteem, and creating more genuine connections. Finding community and peer support from other autistic individuals, whether online or in person, can be incredibly helpful during this process. You may want to use the resources from the Autism Self-Advocacy Network to find support.

We welcome the adoption of the Neurodiversity paradigm, where differences in brain function and behavior are not pathologized or stigmatized, but rather understood and recognized as normal aspects of human development.