Living Inside An Iron Mask

How masking negatively impacts the autistic community.

Autistic people are pressured by society to act neurotypical. The autistic community is seen as an outsider to mainstream society. People put on masks to blend in with neurotypical society. Wearing the invisible mask means learning to force eye contact, and practicing behind the scenes for interactions with neurotypical people.

Anxiety is a by-product of constantly altering your behavior.

For example, eye contact is not an automatic reflex for the autistic mind. Maintaining eye contact requires intentional focus and forethought. In groups, the autistic person may have scripts of what to say prepped in advance or may practice with friends or family before the meeting. One 30-minute meeting could take hours or days of preparation for the autistic attendee.

Autistic masking is an emotionally draining process. Instead of suppression encourage acceptance of autistic traits.