Key takeaways:

Autistic individuals often use “masking” as a way to communicate and socialize like neurotypical people in order to fit in and feel accepted.
The challenge of hiding your autistic traits can lead to more stress, increasing rates of depression and anxiety and delaying getting the right diagnosis and support.
If you recognize that you use masking as a way to feel accepted and fit in, consider seeking support to stop masking and move toward being accepted as you are.

Autistic individuals often communicate and socialize differently than what’s considered “typical” (or neurotypical). The ways that come most naturally to autisic people are often considered “wrong” or a problem to “fix.”

Because of this view, autistic individuals may develop ways of hiding their natural behaviors. Natural autistic characteristics can include:

Having trouble talking back and forth with others
Preferring not to make eye contact
Wanting things to be the same or routine
Reacting very strongly to sensory input (sight, touch, taste, smell, or sound)
Repeating actions or body movements, like hand flapping or rocking (sometimes called stimming)
Displaying emotional reactions or expressions in non-typical ways
Showing a strong interest in or passion for very specific topics

Autistic people learn to mimic how they are “supposed” to communicate and socialize. This is called masking or camouflaging, and they often use it as a way to protect themselves.

Everyone uses some form of “impression management” at times to present themselves well. However, for people with autism, masking can take much more effort. They also have to do it more often than most neurotypical people.

In more recent years, the neurodiversity movement has started to shift this perspective. Autistic forms of communicating and socializing are becoming more widely accepted, understood, and valued.

With a better understanding of what masking is and the toll it can take on your mental health, you may be able to begin presenting a more authentic version of yourself.

How does autism masking affect an individual?

Autistic people consistently report that masking is exhausting. Hiding autistic symptoms requires a great deal of:

Effort
Concentration
Discomfort
Self-control

The energy that autistic individuals put into masking further takes away their resources for managing emotions and interactions. All of this can worsen existing mental health issues.

Across genders, masking is associated with more symptoms of generalized and social anxiety, as well as depression. One study found that those who said they used masking had higher rates of suicidality.

Autistic individuals also report extreme anxiety and stress after spending time suppressing their natural behaviors. They then need time alone to release the behaviors they were holding back.

Masking can also result in your specific needs being overlooked or misunderstood. This can lead to a missed or late diagnosis. It can also lead individuals to feel like they are not being their authentic selves. By hiding your true self, you also limit the likelihood of being understood and accepted as you are.

Quiz: Am I Autistic?

Why does autism masking happen?

Masking is a natural and adaptive response that autistic individuals can develop in response to the pressures of living in a nonautistic world. It is an attempt at connection, fitting in, and acceptance.

It is also a way to avoid negative responses and discrimination. Negative responses are common if autistic individuals rely on their natural or intuitive social behaviors.

Autism has long been looked at as a set of deficits to overcome and a condition to “cure.” For example, the main type of therapy that autistic individuals get focuses on changing their behaviors in order to be seen as competent and capable. This view of autism brings with it stigma and marginalization.

Many traits associated with autism are rated negatively by nonautistic people. Autistic individuals may also be excluded, bullied, or even attacked when they don’t camouflage their autism.

In turn, autistic people attempt to hide traits viewed as negative, even if doing so comes at a cost to their own well-being. They feel that they must “blend in” in order to have access to jobs and opportunities.

How common is masking among people with autism?

Masking has only been studied in recent years. Right now, we have limited data on how common it is. However, in one study, 70% of autistic adults reported that they consistently camouflage.

Autistic females appear to camouflage more than males, typically to get by in work or education settings. Both men and women report using masking as a way to make friends or fit in with others.

Other neurodivergent individuals — such as those with ADHD (attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder) or a learning disability — may also use masking to fit in.

What are the signs of autism masking?

Autism masking includes anything you do to appear nonautistic. It includes a variety of effortful and often exhausting practices to prevent others from seeing your social differences.

Signs of autism masking may include:

Hiding body movements that may be seen as autistic
Developing scripts ahead of time for certain social interactions
Setting up rules or guidelines when interacting with others (like not talking about your favorite topics or avoiding sharing factual information)
Relying on social partners to guide topics of conversation instead of talking about your own interests
Forcing yourself to maintain eye contact or making it look like there is eye contact by looking at a nearby spot on the other person’s face
Displaying certain facial expressions of emotion or interest, even if it isn’t based on an internal feeling
Avoiding talking about your autism diagnosis or discussing the topic of autism
Changing your physical appearance to look more conventional

How can you stop masking?

First, determine whether you are in fact using masking as a way to fit in with social expectations. An online test, such as the Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire (CAT-Q), is a good place to start.

Read and learn about autism on blogs written by autistic adults. It will not only help you better understand yourself but also help you connect with others who may have similar experiences.

Some great voices to follow include:

“Unmasking” is an active choice to put forth your true self. You will benefit from having support and allies to work toward this goal. Working with a therapist specialized in meeting the needs of neurodivergent individuals can be tremendously helpful.

A therapist can help you create a new narrative about your unique strengths and how you have managed to adapt. Therapy can also help you have more compassion and acceptance for yourself. And your therapist can be your cheerleader until you can become your own best advocate.

As you work toward more self-understanding and self-acceptance, it can be helpful to connect with other neurodivergent individuals and autism rights organizations. The following organizations are great places to begin searching for resources:

The bottom line

Everyone will sometimes work hard to put forth a version of themselves that they want others to see. For people with autism, this can happen throughout most of their social experiences. And it’s often not a choice. Rather, it feels like a necessity to fit in and be accepted. The neurodiversity movement is shifting this perspective.

If you use masking as a way to look nonautistic, you don’t have to keep putting precious mental and emotional resources into this way of being. Get the support you need through neurodiversity-affirming mental healthcare and other neurodivergent individuals. With support and acceptance, you can begin to live as your authentic self and improve your well-being.

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Written by:

Hilya Delband Tehrani, PsyD

Hilya Delband Tehrani, PsyD, has over 20 years of experience working with the autistic population. She began at a children’s partial hospitalization program while an undergraduate student at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

Edited by:

Renée Fabian, MA

Renée Fabian is the senior pet health editor at GoodRx. She’s worked for nearly 10 years as a journalist and editor across a wide range of health and well-being topics.

Reviewed by:

Alexandra Goletka, PsyD

Alexandra Goletka, PsyD, is a clinical psychologist specializing in anxiety, depression, resilience, and parenting. Dr. Goletka’s clinical training began at North Central Bronx Hospital.

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