Autism Masking Defined These strategies may include suppressing stimming behaviors, meticulously studying and imitating social behaviors, analyzing body language, scripting, rehearsing conversations, and exhibiting excessive accommodation and helpfulness towards others.
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.
Masking may involve suppressing certain behaviours we find soothing but that others think are 'weird', such as stimming or intense interests. It can also mean mimicking the behaviour of those around us, such as copying non-verbal behaviours, and developing complex social scripts to get by in social situations.
You know when your child is not OK, even if their school has not picked up on the signs. All children are different, but if they change character when they go from school to home, or go into meltdown, or appear exhausted, it might be a sign that they are masking in public.
In conclusion, a major indicator of autism masking in children is when they're a completely different child at home to when they are not at home. (i.e., From being in a safe place to being in a non-safe space).
It's critical to understand what's going on because camouflaging is associated with many adverse outcomes in autistic individuals, like higher anxiety and depression. We are seeing studies that show masking in girls as young as 7 or 8 years old on the school playground.
Examples of masking can include, but are not limited to: Mimicking the social behaviour of others, including gestures or facial expressions. Deliberately forcing or faking eye contact during conversations. Hiding or underplaying their own intense interests.
Some participants also wrote about masking being unconscious, being unaware that they were “masking,” but knowing that they had to hide parts of themselves “I have spent my life masking without knowing I was doing it” (ND- woman, 47).
Someone who is considered high-functioning is more likely to “mask” their autism traits and mimic neurotypical people in a social setting. Of course, these two descriptions are very generic, and many people will have a mix of ASD traits.
The mental and emotional energy it takes to mask often results in an unleashing of pent up emotions when back in their safe place, most often at home. This is known as the coke bottle effect.
Signs of High-Functioning Autism in Children
May appear more mature for their age and have above-average intelligence. A tendency to avoid eye contact. Trouble deviating from a routine or adapting to changes. Trouble making friends and maintaining social relationships or not “fitting in” with peers.
Common signs of autism in adults include: finding it hard to understand what others are thinking or feeling. getting very anxious about social situations. finding it hard to make friends or preferring to be on your own.
When regularly done, masking can lead to autistic burnout. Autistic burnout is the extreme fatigue — mental, physical and emotional exhaustion — that results from constantly hiding your natural traits.
Coping mechanisms are strategies or behaviors that individuals use to manage or deal with challenging or distressing situations. Masking, as a coping mechanism, involves concealing one's true emotions, thoughts, or struggles as a way to navigate social situations or cope with internal difficulties.
Masking refers to hiding your authentic self in an effort to gain greater social acceptance. The costs of camouflaging your true personality and emotions can add up exponentially, causing you to experience a sense of loss, anxiety, and depression. Learn more about what masking is and how to deal with it.
trying to stay still. copying others behaviour. forcing ourselves to use facial expressions and smile. learning conversation topics others might be interested in.
Masking is when a person with ADHD acts in a “socially acceptable” way to fit in and form better connections with those around them. This usually involves camouflaging their symptoms by controlling their impulses, rehearsing responses, and copying the behaviors of those who don't have ADHD.
Neurodivergent masking is the act of hiding one's traits that are a part of their neurodivergence in order to fit into society. This can be done for a variety of reasons, but it is often a way for neurominorities to avoid discrimination and stigma.
Anxiety: Those with anxiety disorders may mask their symptoms by avoiding situations or activities that trigger their anxiety. They may also use coping mechanisms such as deep breathing, distraction, or positive self-talk to avoid drawing attention to their anxious thoughts or behaviours.
What Is Masking In Psychology? Presenting a certain face to the world is something that most people are familiar with. For example, when you have a day you are feeling a bit off colour and yet you smile and say you are fine when someone asks.
Some developmental health professionals refer to PDD-NOS as “subthreshold autism." In other words, it's the diagnosis they use for someone who has some but not all characteristics of autism or who has relatively mild symptoms.
Autistic women and girls may, as mentioned, be better at 'camouflaging' or 'masking' their symptoms, while displaying subtler characteristic behavioral presentation than men and boys (1).
There are three major areas of undiagnosed autism in adults. Those include social interactions, verbal and nonverbal communication, and repetitive or ritualistic behaviors.