Are You a High-Masking Autistic? Understanding the Invisible Struggle

Autism is a spectrum, and while many people have a mental image of what autism looks like, reality is often far more nuanced.

One of the most complex aspects of autism is "masking"—the practice of concealing autistic traits to blend in with neurotypical peers.

For some, masking is a way to cope with a world that doesn’t quite fit their way of thinking, but it often comes at a high cost: burnout, anxiety, and a diminished sense of self.

High-masking autistic individuals are those who become particularly skilled at hiding their autistic traits. But what does this look like in daily life, and what does the research say about the impact of masking?