'It’s a technique that involves adopting traits, mannerisms and mimicking others’ behaviour to blend in.'
We are all very familiar with the term ‘wear a mask’ after the devastation of the last 18 months, but it’s something that many autistic individuals have been used to for a very long time – including myself.. It’s defined as ‘camouflaging or compensating’ and ‘a social survival strategy’.
Although it’s a totally different type of mask, there’s a similarity in hiding behind something and creating a barrier between yourself and the world. As a child, I knew that it took me a lot of effort to engage in group scenarios – but I didn’t know there was an actual term for my behaviours. My brain doesn’t seem to like the multiple conversations that are going on and I can’t focus. Masking would lead me to imitate the behaviours of the people around me rather than trying to tune in to every voice. If someone starts to laugh, I just laugh too, even if I miss the joke.
It’s hard – but masking has helped me to get me through those initial conversations and into the amazing jobs I’ve had over the years. I think that without it, my interviews would have been pear-shaped! I would have avoided eye-contact, had extremely intense body language, and my face probably would have said ‘do not hire me’.
My diagnosis is just one way in which I am a beautiful, unique human being – who doesn’t need a mask to hide behind
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