Introduction
Many autistic people spend years, and sometimes decades, trying to hide their differences in order to fit into a world that was not designed with autistic needs in mind. They may appear socially confident, maintain friendships, succeed academically or professionally, and seem to be coping well on the surface. However, beneath this outward appearance, many are working extraordinarily hard to navigate social situations, manage sensory challenges, and meet neurotypical expectations.
This process is known as masking or camouflaging. Research over the last decade has identified masking as one of the most important reasons why autism is frequently missed, particularly in women and girls, but increasingly evidence suggests that autistic men also mask extensively (Hull et al., 2017; Cook et al., 2021).
Studies have linked prolonged masking to anxiety, depression, autistic burnout, identity difficulties, emotional exhaustion and reduced wellbeing (Cassidy et al., 2018; Evans et al., 2024).
Understanding masking is therefore crucial for autistic people, parents, clinicians, educators and employers.
What Is Masking in Autism?
Autistic masking refers to the conscious or unconscious suppression of autistic characteristics in order to appear more socially typical.
An autistic person who masks may actively hide behaviours or traits that could identify them as different.
Examples include:
- Forcing eye contact despite discomfort
- Suppressing stimming behaviours
- Hiding sensory difficulties
- Pretending to understand social situations
- Rehearsing conversations beforehand
- Monitoring facial expressions
- Adjusting tone of voice
- Avoiding talking about special interests
- Concealing overwhelm or distress
Masking often develops because autistic people receive explicit or implicit messages that their natural behaviours are unacceptable, unusual or socially risky.
Many autistic adults describe feeling as though they are performing a role rather than being themselves.
What Is Camouflaging?
Although the terms are often used interchangeably, researchers sometimes differentiate masking from camouflaging.
Masking involves hiding autistic characteristics.
Camouflaging involves actively adopting behaviours that make someone appear non-autistic.
Camouflaging strategies may include:
- Mimicking peers
- Copying body language
- Learning social rules intellectually
- Using rehearsed scripts
- Mirroring facial expressions
- Studying social interactions
- Analysing television characters to learn social behaviour
- Adopting interests based on social acceptance
Research suggests that many autistic individuals employ both masking and camouflaging simultaneously (Hull et al., 2017).
What Is Assimilation?
A third concept often discussed in autism research is assimilation.
The Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire (CAT-Q), one of the most widely used measures of autistic camouflaging, identifies three main categories:
- Masking
- Compensation
- Assimilation
Assimilation refers to efforts aimed at blending into social environments and avoiding appearing different (Hull et al., 2019).
Examples include:
- Pretending to enjoy social activities
- Forcing social participation
- Acting interested in conversations
- Hiding confusion
- Trying to appear relaxed
- Closely monitoring how others respond
- Changing behaviour according to different social groups
Many autistic people report feeling as though they are constantly adapting themselves depending on the environment they are in.
Over time, this can become exhausting.
What Is Compensation?
Compensation refers to developing strategies to overcome autistic social communication differences.
Examples include:
- Memorising conversation starters
- Learning social scripts
- Studying facial expressions
- Analysing social situations logically
- Creating mental checklists for interaction
- Using learned rules rather than intuition
People who use compensatory strategies may appear socially skilled while still finding social interactions mentally demanding.
This distinction is important because external behaviour does not necessarily reflect internal effort.
Why Do Autistic People Mask?
Masking is not about deception.
Instead, it often develops as a survival strategy.
Research suggests autistic people mask for many reasons:
Avoiding Bullying
Many report learning from childhood that behaving authentically led to teasing, rejection or exclusion.
Wanting Friendships
Humans are social beings. For many autistic people, masking develops from a desire to connect with others.
Meeting Expectations
Schools, workplaces and broader society often reward neurotypical communication styles.
Avoiding Stigma
Some autistic individuals fear being judged, misunderstood or discriminated against.
Maintaining Employment
Many autistic adults report masking extensively in professional settings to reduce workplace difficulties.
Why Is Masking More Commonly Associated with Women?
Historically, autism research focused primarily on boys.
As understanding of autism in females has improved, researchers have increasingly recognised high rates of social camouflaging among autistic girls and women (Hull et al., 2017; Bargiela et al., 2016).
Several theories attempt to explain this pattern.
Girls Often Learn Social Rules Earlier
Many autistic girls become skilled observers of social behaviour.
They may carefully watch peers and learn how to imitate socially expected behaviour.
Female Friendships Can Be More Nuanced
Female social groups often rely heavily on subtle communication, emotional reciprocity and unspoken social rules.
Autistic girls may develop sophisticated compensatory strategies to navigate these expectations.
Social Pressure May Be Greater
Girls are often expected to be:
- Social
- Empathetic
- Cooperative
- Emotionally expressive
This may increase pressure to hide autistic differences.
Autism Can Look Different in Women
Women’s interests may appear more socially typical.
For example:
- Literature
- Animals
- Psychology
- Popular culture
Rather than being recognised as intense autistic interests, these may be viewed as ordinary hobbies.
Men Mask Too
Although masking is often discussed in relation to women, evidence increasingly shows that autistic men also engage in significant masking behaviours.
Autistic men may:
- Memorise social scripts
- Copy colleagues’ behaviour
- Rehearse interactions
- Force eye contact
- Suppress stimming
- Hide sensory challenges
- Closely monitor conversations
Some men become highly skilled at appearing socially confident.
Others develop a “quiet observer” role in social situations.
Research suggests that assumptions that men do not mask may contribute to missed diagnoses and unmet support needs (Cook et al., 2021).
The Hidden Cost of Masking
Although masking may help someone fit in socially, research increasingly indicates that it can have substantial psychological costs.
A 2026 scoping review examining 48 studies found a consistent relationship between autistic camouflaging and poorer mental health outcomes, including anxiety, depression, stress and burnout. Assimilation strategies appeared particularly associated with mental health difficulties.
Common consequences include:
Anxiety
Constant self-monitoring can create a state of heightened vigilance.
Depression
Research has repeatedly found links between masking and depressive symptoms (Evans et al., 2024).
Emotional Exhaustion
Many autistic individuals describe feeling drained after social interaction.
Burnout
Autistic burnout may involve:
- Chronic exhaustion
- Reduced functioning
- Increased sensory sensitivities
- Difficulty coping with everyday demands
Identity Difficulties
Some autistic adults report uncertainty about who they really are beneath years of masking.
Reduced Self-Esteem
Repeatedly suppressing authentic behaviours can create feelings of inadequacy.
Increased Risk of Suicidal Thoughts
Several studies have identified associations between camouflaging and suicidal ideation in autistic populations (Cassidy et al., 2018).
Why Masking Can Delay Autism Diagnosis
Masking often conceals difficulties from others.
Teachers, employers, health professionals and even family members may see someone who appears socially capable.
What they do not see is:
- The preparation beforehand
- The analysis during interaction
- The exhaustion afterwards
This discrepancy explains why many autistic people, particularly women, receive diagnoses late in life.
Many adults report receiving previous diagnoses such as:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Social anxiety disorder
- Personality disorders
before autism was ever considered.
Some people are reluctant to seek an assessment as they worry that their high masking autism will not be picked up. Highly experienced clinicians are able to notice signs of masking and camouflaging in an autism assessment, so this should not be a barrier to a diagnosis.
Signs Someone May Be Masking Autism
Potential indicators include:
- Extreme exhaustion after socialising
- Rehearsing conversations
- Analysing interactions afterwards
- “Acting” differently in different situations
- Feeling like an outsider despite appearing socially successful
- Hiding sensory sensitivities
- Suppressing stimming
- Mimicking others’ behaviour
- Needing significant recovery time after social events
- Experiencing repeated burnout
Importantly, these experiences occur across genders.
Supporting Autistic People Without Encouraging Masking
Increasingly, researchers caution against interventions that prioritise appearing neurotypical over wellbeing.
Helpful approaches include:
Creating Psychologically Safe Environments
Where autistic people can be themselves without fear of judgement.
Accepting Different Communication Styles
Recognising that eye contact, body language and conversational style vary.
Supporting Sensory Needs
Allowing reasonable adjustments at school, university and work.
Encouraging Authenticity
Helping autistic individuals understand that differences do not need to be hidden.
Focusing on Wellbeing Rather Than Appearance
Success should be measured by quality of life, not by how neurotypical someone appears.
Conclusion
Masking, camouflaging and assimilation are increasingly recognised as central experiences for many autistic people. While these strategies can help individuals navigate a predominantly neurotypical world, they often come at a significant emotional, psychological and physical cost.
Although masking has historically been associated with women and girls, growing evidence demonstrates that autistic men also engage in extensive masking behaviours. The difference is often not whether masking occurs, but how it presents and how effectively others recognise it.
Understanding masking is critical to improving autism identification, reducing delayed diagnosis, supporting mental health and helping autistic people live more authentically. As research continues to evolve, the focus is shifting away from helping autistic people appear less autistic and towards helping society become more accepting of neurodiversity.
References
Bargiela, S., Steward, R. and Mandy, W. (2016) ‘The experiences of late-diagnosed women with autism spectrum conditions: an investigation of the female autism phenotype’, Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 46(10), pp. 3281-3294.
Cassidy, S.A., Gould, K., Townsend, E., Pelton, M., Robertson, A.E. and Rodgers, J. (2018) ‘Is camouflaging autistic traits associated with suicidal thoughts and behaviours?’, Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 50(10), pp. 3638-3648.
Cook, J., Hull, L., Crane, L. and Mandy, W. (2021) ‘Camouflaging in autism: a systematic review’, Clinical Psychology Review, 89, 102080.
Evans, J.A., Krumrei-Mancuso, E.J. and Rouse, S.V. (2024) ‘What you are hiding could be hurting you: autistic masking in relation to mental health, interpersonal trauma, authenticity, and self-esteem’, Autism in Adulthood, 6(2), pp. 229-240.
Hull, L., Petrides, K.V., Allison, C., Smith, P., Baron-Cohen, S., Lai, M.C. and Mandy, W. (2017) ‘“Putting on my best normal”: social camouflaging in adults with autism spectrum conditions’, Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 47(8), pp. 2519-2534.
Hull, L., Mandy, W., Lai, M.C., Baron-Cohen, S., Allison, C., Smith, P. and Petrides, K.V. (2019) ‘Development and validation of the Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire (CAT-Q)’, Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 49(3), pp. 819-833.
Hodge, E.K. and Meltzoff, K.K. (2026) ‘The relationship between autistic camouflaging and mental health: a scoping review’, Frontiers in Psychiatry, 17.
