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.
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.
Masking is a word used to describe something seen in many children with ASD – when they learn, practice, and perform certain behaviours and suppress others in order to be more like the people around them.
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.
If you hide your adult ADHD symptoms from other people, that's called masking. Basically, you're trying to seem more “normal” or “regular.” ADHD causes some people to act hyperactive or impulsive. It makes other folks have trouble paying attention. And still other adults have a combination of those symptoms.
ADHD masking may also be called "camouflaging." This is when someone with ADHD tries to cover up their symptoms by copying the behaviors of people who don't have it. ADHD masking may be a way for some people with ADHD to fit in socially, avoid being stigmatized, or feel more accepted.
While masking is employed by many autistic people, people in marginalized groups, including women, people of color and LGBTQ+ people might feel even more compelled to camouflage their disability.
Many autistic people and ADHD-ers report using “masking” and “camouflaging” in their lives. This is where people conceal certain traits and replace them with neurotypical ones to avoid being recognised as neurominorities.
Masking describes the act of hiding or suppressing symptoms of a mental health condition. People usually mask in situations and environments where they are expected to act in a socially normative way — like at school or work, or when meeting new people.
Masking (also called camouflaging) is the artificial performance of social behaviors deemed more “socially acceptable” in a neurotypical culture. People with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), especially ones who have experienced trauma, may feel that masking their autistic traits can help them fit in better socially.
Masking is a term explaining how neurodivergent people feel the need to camouflage in social situations to appear neurotypical. Masking is a form of social survival displayed in different ways depending on the behaviours the individual wants to conceal.
Some people become anxious when wearing a face mask or just thinking about wearing a face mask. This would be what some are calling face mask anxiety.
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.
“High-functioning autism” isn't an official medical term or diagnosis. It's an informal one some people use when they talk about people with an autism spectrum disorder who can speak, read, write, and handle basic life skills like eating and getting dressed. They can live independently.
One way to minimize the harmful effects of masking autism is to work toward a world in which neurodiverse people are accepted as they are, and people are treated with respect and kindness whether they communicate in neurotypical ways or not.
People with social anxiety have an intense fear of social situations, often fearing others' judgment. People with autism often have difficulty reading social cues. Interventions can include social skills training, occupational therapy, and cognitive behavioral therapy.
Another symptom of ADHD Masking is bottling up intense emotions. People with ADHD might find that they bottle up their emotions and do not express them in order to avoid any conflict or disagreement. This is because they want to keep the peace and they also do not want to be seen as overly emotional.
People with any type of BPD experience the same internal dysregulation and inner turmoil, but folks with quiet BPD are masterful at masking their pain — so they may appear cold, distance, or aloof as a result.
Main signs of autism
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. seeming blunt, rude or not interested in others without meaning to.
It's quite common for autistic children who do not appear to have any behavioural difficulties at school to behave differently at home. Tony Attwood refers to this as the Jekyll and Hyde character (Attwood, 1998). In section, we look at some of the reasons behind this behaviour, and offer tips to parents and carers.
This is a common situation for children in schools who mask when they are in the classroom, meaning teachers do not see anything that would lead them to believe the child is autistic, but at home they can drop the mask and parents and carers notice behaviours not seen in school….