When I received my autism diagnosis, I learned about masking for the first time — and realised I had been doing it my entire life without even knowing. Many autistic adults engage in masking — suppressing their autistic traits to fit into social situations. While this may help in the short term, it often leads to significant mental health issues. This blog examines the impact of masking and why it’s essential to create and nurture environments where autistic individuals can be themselves. It’s also important to recognise that not all autistic people engage in masking, and it’s often impossible to tell if someone is masking unless you know them well. Masking is a personal and behaviour that varies significantly between individuals, reflecting their unique experiences and coping mechanisms. Research highlights that masking behaviours are not universal among autistic individuals; some may choose not to mask, while others may not feel the need depending on their environment and level of support.
Where Does this Pressure Come From?
The toll of masking is significant, but why do so many autistic individuals feel the need to mask in the first place? Understanding these pressures is key to creating change.
While society places pressures on everyone to conform, these expectations are often magnified for autistic individuals, who may feel compelled to hide behaviours such as stimming, avoid direct communication about their needs, or suppress sensory sensitivities to fit in. For many, this pressure stems from past negative experiences, such as being excluded socially or facing criticism in the workplace. These experiences can lead to the belief that they must deliberately change their behaviour to appear more like their neurotypical peers in order to be accepted. While this strategy might help them navigate social situations or maintain employment, it often comes at a high personal cost (Hull et al., 2020).
Masking can be mentally and physically exhausting. An autistic person might be dealing with overwhelming sensory difficulties, struggling to maintain communication, and simultaneously making a conscious effort to appear “normal.” It’s not just about suppressing behaviours; it’s a constant juggling act of self-monitoring and adjustment, all while managing the underlying stress of feeling different or misunderstood.
A helpful way to understand the toll of masking is through analogy: it’s like part of you is on fire. You’re painfully aware of the fire, yet you have to act as if it isn’t there. All the while, no one else in the room seems to notice or acknowledge the flames. This disconnect — between the inner struggle and the outer expectation to blend in seamlessly — highlights just how draining masking can be.
The Problem with Functioning Labels: High Functioning or High Masking?
While functioning labels are often used with good intentions, they oversimplify the diverse experiences of autistic individuals and can unintentionally invalidate their challenges or strengths. Someone who masks often and appears to “get on with it” in school, university, work, or other social situations is often described with the label “high functioning,” while someone with more visible support needs may be referred to as “low functioning.” However, these labels oversimplify the complex, nuanced experiences of autistic individuals and often fail to reflect their true needs or abilities. Functioning labels typically measure how “autistic” someone appears to an outside observer rather than addressing their internal struggles or lived reality.
In many cases, what is labelled as “high functioning” could be more accurately described as “high masking.” Someone who is high masking may expend enormous mental and physical energy to suppress behaviours, manage sensory challenges, and navigate social norms to appear neurotypical. While they might seem relaxed, communicative, and capable on the surface, they are often balancing an intricate web of internal challenges — sensory overload, emotional regulation, and self-monitoring — to maintain this outward appearance. In reality, it feels as though a million other factors are being juggled simultaneously, all while trying to appear effortless. You could say, “I’m not high functioning, I’m high masking!”
This framing creates a harmful paradox:
- For those labelled “high functioning”: Their struggles may be dismissed or misunderstood because their efforts to mask make their challenges invisible. As a result, they might not receive the support they desperately need, leading to burnout, anxiety, and isolation.
- For those labelled “low functioning”: Their visible challenges can lead to assumptions about their abilities, often resulting in fewer opportunities to showcase their strengths, contribute meaningfully, or develop independence.
Masking plays a significant role in reinforcing these inaccurate perceptions. Labels like “high functioning” and “low functioning” fail to capture the spectrum of experiences and the dynamic nature of autism, where support needs and capabilities can vary greatly depending on the environment, task, or level of exhaustion.
Now, the topic of functioning labels could be an entire discussion in itself, but for the purposes of examining masking, it’s important to recognise the effort behind what appears to be effortless. Masking isn’t just a skill; it’s a survival strategy, and the mental gymnastics required can be exhausting.
By shifting the focus from functioning labels to understanding masking and its impacts, we can better support autistic individuals in all environments, ensuring their needs are met and their strengths are recognised without oversimplifying or diminishing their experiences. For the record; I don’t like these labels and my sentiments are echoed across the autistic community. It’s not a compliment to say I’m “high functioning” as that implied I have a “good” type of autism, and those who have a different experience and support needs have a “bad” type. It also invalidates the lived experience of autistic individuals.
The Mental Health Toll of Masking:
Prolonged masking can lead to severe consequences, including burnout, anxiety, depression, and even a profound sense of identity loss. Many autistic individuals report feeling disconnected from their true selves after years of suppressing their natural behaviours to meet societal expectations. The constant pressure to conform can leave them emotionally drained, struggling to cope with the demands of daily life (Cage & Troxell-Whitman, 2019).
As mentioned earlier, masking often feels like juggling multiple things at once — a relentless mental balancing act that requires extraordinary effort. It’s not just about suppressing stims or adjusting communication; it’s managing sensory overload, maintaining conversations, and actively monitoring how one appears to others, all at the same time. This level of sustained effort is incredibly exhausting, both mentally and physically.
One client of mine described this so brilliantly: “It’s like being a battery that constantly needs to be recharged. Sometimes, you get to a point where you wonder if the charger is broken because the battery life isn’t lasting as long. And in the case of burnout, it’s like the battery won’t charge at all.” This analogy captures the relentless toll masking takes, especially when done over long periods. The energy required to mask can leave little to no reserve for other aspects of life, leading to a cycle of depletion and frustration.
Burnout, in particular, is a common and often misunderstood consequence of prolonged masking. Unlike the temporary exhaustion many people experience, autistic burnout can involve a complete inability to function in day-to-day tasks, heightened sensory sensitivities, and even a temporary loss of skills such as speech or executive functioning. This isn’t just fatigue — it’s a profound neurological and emotional collapse that can take weeks, months, or even years to recover from.
For many, masking also creates a disconnect from their authentic self. When so much time and energy is spent adapting to meet external expectations, it can become difficult to know who you are without the mask. This identity loss can lead to feelings of isolation and confusion, as individuals struggle to reconcile the version of themselves they present to the world with their true self. After all, the goal should not be to fit in at the cost of well-being but to embrace neurodiversity and ensure everyone has the opportunity to thrive without compromise.
Creating Environments for Authenticity
It’s time to move away from functioning labels and towards a deeper understanding of the experiences of autistic individuals. The first step is recognising that masking is a coping mechanism many autistic people rely on to navigate a world designed for neurotypical norms. Acknowledging the challenges of masking is key to building environments where autistic individuals feel safe to be themselves.
For example, understanding that an autistic friend or colleague may seem more drained after an activity or workday than a neurotypical person can provide important context. It’s not just the physical or mental effort of the task itself — it’s the additional layer of energy spent masking: suppressing stims, managing sensory input, and maintaining a neurotypical “persona.” This can be exhausting and even lead to burnout, but awareness and understanding can alleviate some of the pressure.
Understanding masking isn’t just about awareness — it can also help create spaces where autistic people feel comfortable unmasking. When someone feels accepted and understood, they are more likely to feel safe expressing their authentic selves and engaging in behaviours that help them regulate. For instance, stimming might involve using sensory toys, repetitive yet harmless movements, or singing softly to self-soothe. These actions are natural and important ways for autistic individuals to maintain their equilibrium, and acceptance of these behaviours can make a significant difference in their well-being.
Reducing the pressures to mask requires both societal and workplace change. Here are some practical steps to achieve this:
- Encourage Authenticity: Create and promote inclusive environments where autistic individuals can be themselves without fear of judgment. Allow them to stim, avoid eye contact, or communicate in ways that feel natural. It’s not about forcing neurotypical standards but recognising and respecting diverse ways of being. Inclusive environments thrive when they are built collaboratively, with a focus on listening to autistic voices, making thoughtful accommodations, and fostering mutual understanding.
- Build Awareness: Educate yourself and others about the challenges of masking and the mental health toll it takes. Understanding the limitations of functioning labels and the effort behind masking can foster greater empathy and reduce misunderstandings.
- Shift to Acceptance: Move beyond expecting autistic people to adapt to neurotypical norms. Embrace neurodiversity by valuing different ways of thinking, interacting, and regulating. This isn’t just about “tolerating differences” — it’s about recognising and celebrating them.
- Lead by Example: If you’re in a leadership or mentorship position, show that authenticity is valued by openly supporting neurodivergent individuals and their needs. Small gestures, like validating someone’s request for adjustments or normalising sensory-friendly tools, can set a powerful example.
Masking is a complex and often exhausting strategy that many autistic individuals use to navigate a world not designed for them. However, the ultimate goal should be creating and promoting inclusive environments where masking isn’t necessary — where individuals feel safe, valued, and understood just as they are. By recognising the hidden struggles behind masking and moving away from functioning labels, we can create environments that empower autistic individuals to embrace their authentic selves.
This isn’t just about making life easier for autistic people — it’s about enriching our communities, workplaces, and schools with the diversity of thought, creativity, and perspective that neurodivergent individuals bring. Understanding is the first step, and acceptance follows naturally when we truly see the world through a lens of empathy and inclusivity.
References:
Cage, E., & Troxell-Whitman, Z. (2019). The effects of masking on mental health in autistic adults. Autism in Adulthood.
Hull, L., Petrides, K. V., & Mandy, W. (2020). “Putting on My Best Normal”: Social Camouflaging in Autistic Adults. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.