Masking

In their book Unmasking Autism, Dr. Devon Price states that masking is any behavior intended “to hide your disability.” Consciously mirroring others’ body language and speech, rehearsing interactions, deeply researching new places or people before engaging, and preparing scripts for daily life are just a few examples of masking. For many autistic individuals, this requires an enormous amount of mental and emotional energy, and the mask weighs heavily on their well-being.