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. The CAT-Q test can be used to measure how much you mask.

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

Autistic women mask more strongly than autistic men on average, and this may be one of the reasons fewer autistic women are diagnosed.

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