Masking

Masking is when an autistic person tries to act like an allistic person with the intention of fitting in or being allowed in an environment.

When done for prolonged periods of time, this can be very harmful and lead to burnout.

Types of Masking

(Non-exhaustive list)

• Forcing oneself to look in other people's eyes
• Actively monitoring body language, facial expressions, and tone
• Holding back/hiding meltdowns and/or shutdowns
• Camouflaging
• Hiding stims
• Scripting
• Mimicking/Mirroring