Factors that contribute to Autistic Masking

For many autistic children and young people masking can begin at a young age. This is supported by anecdotal reports of autistic adults who report masking at a young age. However, the literature and research is still evolving and more study is needed to explore autistic children’s experience of masking to determine when and how masking is likely to develop.

Autistic masking can be influenced by others negative responses to autistic characteristics such as stimming, differences in eye contact, asking questions, intense special interests or experiencing sensory overload. Children and young people may learn over time to mask these characteristics as a way of ‘fitting in’ with their peers or to seek approval or please others.

Some children and young people can become highly skilled observers of non-autistic social behaviours and language, they may spend time rehearsing conversations and scripts. Some children and young people will engage in excessive helpfulness towards others, ignoring their own needs.

Any autistic person can mask regardless of age, gender or background. However, research suggests autistic girls and women experience significant pressure to engage in societal expectations around social play and interactions. As a result autistic masking is more common among autistic girls.

Masking is sometimes referred to as social camouflaging in literature. Social camouflaging is defined as the use of strategies by autistic person to minimise the visibility of their autism in social situations (Lai et al 2016).

Masking can develop as a protective response to avoid experiencing bullying, isolation or victimisation. Autistic people have explained masking as a mechanism for seeking acceptance from others which is driven by negative past experiences of friendships with non-autistic people. These negative social experiences can increase feelings of shame and self-criticism for the autistic person (Cage and Troxell-Whitman 2019).

Masking can have long term negative outcomes for the autistic community including mental health related concerns, burnout, and suicidality. This highlights the importance of understanding what masking is for autistic children and young people, why it occurs and approaches to support in education.