The Hidden Cost of Masking: Understanding gender differences in Autism, and how to embrace neurodiversity
Masking has become a popular term in the autistic community to describe the ways in which autistic individuals try to appear neurotypical. Some common examples include, limiting stimming behaviors, maintaining eye contact during conversations, and imitating social gestures. While at first glance this may appear adaptive, masking actually harms neurodiverse individuals. Individuals with autism in particular describe masking as exhausting and research has shown a positive association between masking and symptoms of anxiety and depression. Others say masking can lead to an identity crisis, since individuals cannot tell the difference between their personal preferences and engrained masking practices. This new understanding of masking has also shed light on the ethics of “social skills groups” for the ASD population.
The differences in socialization for men and women can lead to gender differences in masking. It has been thought that autistic women mask more often than men, which may contribute to the well-known issue of under-identification of autism in women. There are some plausible reasons for this gender difference. Preliminary research has shown that autistic traits tend to be more accepted in males than females. Similarly, there can be greater social pressure for women to fit in with their peers, and to put others needs before their own. For example, child and adolescent females often feel more pressure to make close social connections, while it is more acceptable for a male child to play by himself or have more acquaintances rather than friends. In fact, a lot of research has shown that there is little difference in the social reciprocity of autistic and non-autistic girls! Although these autistic girls tend to initiate friendship more so than autistic boys, again, they are more at risk for underdiagnosis and developing emotional distress due to a lack of self-awareness stemming from a late/absent diagnosis, and due to engaging in masking.
Knowing that masking can negatively impact our autistic children, the question comes, how do we support them? The first step is to have a comprehensive, early evaluation that includes social communication, since typical behavioral observations do not always account for potential masking. It is important to encourage children to embrace who they are and their interests rather than conforming to the mainstream. Additionally, helping autistic individuals identify potential triggers or situations in which they feel more inclined to mask can help prevent negative effects that come with masking. Similarly, make sure you or your child is surrounded by a supportive network of people who accept and embrace autistic traits. Finally, seeking support can be vital to reducing the burden of masking. If you or someone you know may benefit from speaking with us about navigating masking or getting an initial diagnosis, please reach out today for a free consultation call.
