Taking Off the Mask: Practical Exercises to Help Understand and Minimise the Effects of Autistic Camouflaging
Hannah Louise Belcheramazon.com
Taking Off the Mask: Practical Exercises to Help Understand and Minimise the Effects of Autistic Camouflaging
When an Autistic person is not given resources or access to self-knowledge, and when they’re told their stigmatized traits are just signs that they’re a disruptive, overly sensitive, or annoying kid, they have no choice but to develop a neurotypical façade. Maintaining that neurotypical mask feels deeply inauthentic and it’s extremely exhausting to
... See moreSomeone might verbally camouflage by forcing themselves not to speak too much about their special interests,[5] for example, and socially compensate by researching a friend’s Facebook posts before meeting up with them, so they’ll have a good idea of what to chat about.[6] A person might camouflage their auditory sensitivities by gritting their teet
... See moreIn the psychological literature on the subject, Autism masking is said to consist of two classes of behavior:[4] Camouflaging: attempting to hide or obscure Autistic traits in order to “blend in” with neurotypicals. The main goal of camouflage is to avoid detection as disabled. Compensation: using specific strategies to “overcome” challenges and im
... See moreAdditionally, camouflaging behaviour as a coping strategy reflects many of the regulated actions involved in being social, such as mimicking gestures or purposefully maintaining eye contact, or consciously suppressing autistic-like behaviours like stimming.