Over the past two weeks, in this column, we have discussed more academic topics — the definition and diagnosis processes of autism, with commonly agreed-upon connotations throughout academia and the psychology discipline. However, now that we have the foundations of what this column will discuss, we can delve into more unknown aspects of autism. Perhaps the most logical place to start is the title of this column, Unmasking. For many, masking may not be a familiar term. Still, even for those who do, it does not always have the most concrete definition, use, or proof of its existence. Today, we will unmask, masking.
Masking, in its simplest terms, not just for autism, is to conceal something. In psychology, it means to hide one’s true self to conform with society. While seemingly an obscure term for personality studies, it is standard. Every time you laugh without understanding a joke or nod along in a conversation about a topic you’ve heard nothing about — that’s masking.
As discussed in the definition edition of this column, the typical definition of autism is a lack of social skills (in the most basic terms, but read that article if you’re interested). For individuals with a deficit of social skills, masking may be the only way for individuals with autism to interact with other people. Autistic masking—the academic term for it—can include avoiding triggering situations (loud environments for those with sound sensitivity, for example), planning or scripting conversations ahead of time, or physically muffling movements (a typical autism trait is called stimming, defined as unusual movements or noises).
As someone with autism, I can say (at least for me) that masking becomes second nature after a long time. However, it can be hard sometimes, takes a lot of practice, or never happens for some people or situations. When I was younger (elementary school until nearly my senior year of high school), I had a book—turned into a Google Doc—of any social interaction I may have encountered throughout the day and how to react. As someone who liked equations and books, this was an easy way to seem like I understood what was happening in a social situation (masking). Another way I masked back in elementary school was I would stay with the teacher. As a seven-year-old, I thought I wouldn’t have to worry about not understanding other kids if the teacher was involved in every conversation.
I am happy to say I no longer need a “How to talk” book to function daily. However, that is not because I “outgrew” autism or anything like that, just that I have learned enough and masked for so long that it has become second nature to listen to other people, be on-topic, and not randomly mention something completely unrelated in the middle of a conversation (I still do that sometimes, but intentionally instead of obliviously).
Masking can help individuals with autism feel included in their communities or even just be able to function and interact with the world around them. However, there are some setbacks, but we will explore them in the next edition of this column, where we will delve into unmasking the mysterious world of something simple: living with autism.
