What is Camouflaging?

A general guide for everyone:

‘Camouflaging’ refers to the process of changing or concealing who you are. The term is taken from the powerful evolutionary tactic we see in nature, where animals can mimic other creatures and/or disguise their true nature for survival.

For many autistic people, camouflaging is used for similar reasons; to get on in a world that may not always understand them. Autistic people can use a variety of methods to ‘fit in’ and hide who they are to be perceived as neurotypical.

What about masking?

The term ‘masking’ is often used interchangeably with ‘camouflaging’ to mean altering or hiding one’s true self. However, following research that has emerged in the last few years, ‘camouflaging’ is now considered the broad term to describe three different subtypes; masking, compensation, and assimilation.

The different types of camouflaging

Autistic people might camouflage their characteristics for a range of reasons, such as to appear interested in others, to appear relaxed, and to put others at ease.

They often find communication especially difficult, meaning camouflaging can be both mentally and physically exhausting, and can lead to burnout and other negative health concerns, like anxiety and depression.

Here’s how the behaviours associated with autistic camouflaging can manifest themselves:

Compensation

These are mimicking strategies used to make up for difficulties in social situations

• Copying social cues and body language from others and TV/films
• Repeating the phrasing and tone of others
• Using a ‘script’ in social situations
• Researching rules of social interaction

Masking

These strategies are used to hide autistic characteristics

• Being highly aware of body language and facial expressions when socialising
• Monitoring the facial expressions and body language of others and adjusting accordingly to appear engaged with others
• Feeling pressure to make eye contact with others

Assimilation

These strategies are used to ‘fit in’ with others in social situations

• Feeling the need to put on an act when in social situations
• Pretending to be ‘normal’ when conversation with others doesn’t feel natural
• Having to force oneself to interact with others
• Avoiding interaction

Camouflaging in women and girls

Camouflaging is more prevalent in autistic women and girls. It’s no surprise, then, that women and girls are often diagnosed with autism later in life than men and boys. Women and girls’ symptoms are often far more subtle, and therefore more frequently misunderstood. For this reason, women are often initially misdiagnosed with a mental health condition.

So, why do women and girls camouflage more? In short, they’re often raised with the tools to do it effectively. Even if it’s unconscious, many women and girls are taught from a young age to:

• Put the needs of others first
• Assume more of the responsibilities at home
• Carry the emotional and mental load

Women and girls are also:

• Often more imaginative and creative at an early age
• More likely to get involved in social situations requiring conversational skills
• Often more organised

For these reasons, an autistic woman or girl can seem neurotypical:

• She’s attentive to others (often learned by mimicking other women)
• She’s organised and ‘on top of’ her work/household duties, with the help of lists and calendars
• She maintains relationships with her peers (often by copying their behaviour and appearance)
• She has ‘normal’ and age-appropriate interests (often informed by people her age on TV and social media)
• She engages in role play or pretend play as a child, like her peers

An autistic person needs to feel safe to be their authentic self. Only once they are in a space – and in company – where they are understood and celebrated can they reduce their camouflaging behaviours and ‘unmask’ their true self.

Exploring a diagnosis of autism can be a powerful tool to help understand more about you or your child’s camouflaging. Autism Anglia offers a private, gold-standard, NICE compliant assessment and diagnosis service.