Autistic Masking: Understanding Identity Management and the Role of Stigma

Masking is a form of identity management involving consciously or unconsciously suppressing aspects of identity and action. Often seen in socially marginalised groups, it is found to contribute towards poorer outcomes for autistic people and is related to higher prevalence of suicidality, exhaustion, burnout, and mental health difficulties. Though masking has been predominantly framed as a social strategy to ‘blend in’ with neurotypical (non-autistic) people, emerging research suggests that...