So many people I know with autism mask their behaviors in the hopes of fitting in and because of that often do damage to themselves as a result.
I was reminded about this recently sitting down with Noah, a 10-year-old boy with autism for our video series A Special Community. In the video above Noah’s mom talks about the masking he experiences during the school day and the burnout he receives later on when he comes home.
I dealt with this a bit when I was growing up with autism as I was a victim of bullying. Things like twirling and stimming I tried to fight doing at times even though it would help me regulate some emotions. This would lead me to need more time by myself at the end of the school days to rest and process the day.
This is a big reason why we need to continue to discuss inclusion and embracing neurodiversity. Even as kids become adults they may also mask behaviors for social and/or professional success but it will most likely affect that persons health. Food for thought.
Spectrum News did a great article on masking for girls on the autism spectrum which you can read here.
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