Article 24: The Hidden Cost of Masking in School

A student participates in class, follows directions, completes assignments, and appears to interact comfortably with classmates. From an educator’s perspective, the student may seem to be doing well.

Then the student gets home and is exhausted. They withdraw, become overwhelmed, or need significant time to recover from the school day.

For some autistic students, the effort required to appear comfortable and meet social expectations can consume considerable mental and emotional energy. They may consciously or unconsciously suppress behaviors, imitate peers, rehearse conversations, force eye contact, or hide sensory discomfort in an effort to fit in or avoid standing out.

This is often referred to as masking or camouflaging.

Research into autistic masking has grown substantially in recent years, particularly through studies involving autistic adolescents and adults. Findings suggest that sustained camouflaging can be associated with exhaustion, anxiety, reduced well-being, and a diminished sense of authenticity (Hull et al., 2017; Cage & Troxell-Whitman, 2019).

For educators, the challenge is that a student who appears successful throughout the school day may still be working extremely hard simply to maintain that appearance.

Understanding masking encourages us to look beyond whether a student is “doing fine” and consider what that success may be costing them.

What Is Masking?

Masking refers to efforts an autistic person may use to hide, minimize, or compensate for autistic characteristics in social situations.

This can include:

• Suppressing repetitive movements or stimming

• Forcing or carefully managing eye contact

• Copying the gestures or expressions of peers

• Rehearsing conversations in advance

• Imitating socially expected responses

• Hiding confusion during conversations

• Suppressing sensory discomfort

• Avoiding asking for accommodations or assistance

Some students may consciously recognize that they are doing these things. Others may have adapted their behavior over time without identifying it as masking.

It is also important to recognize that adapting behavior to different social situations is something most people do. Masking becomes particularly important to understand when maintaining those adaptations requires substantial effort or causes distress.

Why Might Students Mask at School?

Schools are highly social environments.

Throughout the day, students are expected to interpret facial expressions, participate in conversations, navigate group work, manage transitions, understand unwritten social rules, respond appropriately to adults, and interact with peers.

Autistic students may also become aware that some of their natural behaviors attract unwanted attention.

A student might stop using a movement that helps them regulate because classmates have commented on it. Another may avoid wearing headphones because they do not want to look different. A student may pretend to understand a social interaction rather than risk asking for clarification.

In these situations, masking may function as a strategy for belonging, avoiding judgment, or meeting perceived expectations.

The concern is not simply that the student is adapting. It is how much effort that adaptation requires and whether the student feels safe expressing their needs.

When “Doing Well” Does Not Tell the Whole Story

Academic performance is one important measure of student success, but it cannot tell educators everything about a student’s school experience.

A student may:

• Earn excellent grades while experiencing significant anxiety

• Participate socially while feeling exhausted afterward

• Follow classroom expectations while suppressing sensory discomfort

• Complete assignments while struggling to ask for help

• Appear calm at school but become overwhelmed after returning home

This is one reason communication between educators, students, and families is so valuable.

When a family reports that a student regularly comes home exhausted or overwhelmed, that information should not necessarily be dismissed because the student “seems fine at school.” The difference between what educators observe and what families experience may provide useful information about how much effort the school day requires.

The Potential Cost of Masking

Research on autistic adults and adolescents has associated camouflaging with several negative outcomes, including psychological distress, exhaustion, anxiety, and challenges related to identity and well-being (Hull et al., 2017; Cage & Troxell-Whitman, 2019).

This does not mean every autistic student who modifies their behavior will experience these outcomes. Masking is complex, and individuals describe both benefits and costs.

For some people, adapting to particular situations can support social connection or help them navigate environments successfully. The concern arises when students feel they must continually suppress their needs or autistic characteristics in order to be accepted.

For educators, this distinction matters.

The goal should not be to identify and eliminate every form of masking. Instead, schools can create environments where students do not feel that hiding their needs is the price of belonging.

From Research to Practice

Educators cannot always know when a student is masking. However, they can create classroom conditions that reduce the pressure students may feel to hide their needs.

The following six strategies provide a practical starting point.

1. Avoid Using Appearance as the Only Measure of Well-Being

A quiet, compliant, academically successful student may still be struggling.

Pay attention to changes in:

• Energy

• Participation

• Attendance

• Social interaction

• Emotional regulation

• Requests for help

Regular check-ins can provide information that classroom observation alone may not reveal.

2. Normalize Different Ways of Regulating

Students should not have to appear completely still or behave identically to demonstrate that they are engaged.

When appropriate, classrooms can normalize supports such as:

• Fidgets

• Movement

• Alternative seating

• Noise-reducing headphones

• Quiet work locations

The specific support should depend on the student’s individual needs and educational plan when applicable.

When these options are treated as ordinary classroom supports rather than exceptions, students may feel less pressure to hide what helps them regulate.

3. Offer Different Ways to Participate

Participation does not always have to mean raising a hand, speaking in front of the class, or making frequent eye contact.

Students might demonstrate engagement through:

• Written responses

• Small-group discussions

• Digital tools

• Individual conversations

• Visual responses

Providing multiple ways to participate allows educators to maintain meaningful expectations without requiring every student to demonstrate learning in the same way.

4. Make Asking for Help Safe

Students may hide confusion because they are worried about appearing different or drawing attention to themselves.

Educators can normalize questions and provide discreet ways to request assistance.

A student might use:

• A visual help card

• A private digital message

• A predetermined signal

• A written question

• A brief individual check-in

The easier and safer it feels to ask for support, the less likely a student may be to struggle silently.

5. Listen When Families Describe a Different Student at Home

Families and educators observe students in different environments, and both perspectives are valuable.

If a parent or caregiver reports significant exhaustion, withdrawal, or emotional distress after school, educators can explore whether particular parts of the school day are contributing to that pattern.

Questions might include:

• Are certain classes particularly demanding?

• Is lunchtime socially or sensory challenging?

• Does the student have opportunities to regulate?

• Are there times when the student appears to be working especially hard to fit in?

Collaboration can reveal patterns that neither home nor school would recognize independently.

6. Ask Students About Their Experience

When appropriate, one of the most valuable things educators can do is simply ask.

Questions such as:

• What part of school takes the most energy?

• Are there times when you feel like you have to act differently to fit in?

• Is there anything you avoid doing because you worry what other students will think?

• What helps you feel comfortable being yourself at school?

Not every student will be able or willing to answer these questions directly. Communication supports, family input, observation, and established student support teams may also be needed.

The purpose is not to label a student as “masking.” It is to better understand their experience.

Creating Belonging Without Requiring Conformity

Schools naturally have expectations. Students need to learn how to participate in communities, respect others, follow reasonable rules, and navigate different environments.

Inclusion does not require eliminating those expectations.

It does require examining whether some expectations are necessary for learning and safety or simply reflect a preference for students to behave in a particular way.

Does a student need to make eye contact to demonstrate that they are listening?

Does sitting completely still demonstrate greater engagement?

Does every student need to participate socially in exactly the same way?

Questions like these help educators distinguish between meaningful educational expectations and unnecessary pressure to conform.

Conclusion

Masking reminds educators that what they observe in the classroom may represent only part of a student’s experience.

An autistic student can be successful academically, participate socially, and follow classroom expectations while simultaneously expending significant energy managing how others perceive them.

Educators do not need to identify every instance of masking. Instead, they can create environments where students have multiple ways to participate, appropriate ways to regulate, safe opportunities to ask for help, and meaningful opportunities to communicate their needs.

Inclusive education should help students develop the skills needed to navigate the world. It should also create spaces where students do not feel they must continually hide important parts of themselves in order to belong.

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References:

• Cage, E., & Troxell-Whitman, Z. (2019). Understanding the reasons, contexts and costs of camouflaging for autistic adults. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 49, 1899–1911.

• Hull, L., Petrides, K. V., Allison, C., et al. (2017). “Putting on My Best Normal”: Social camouflaging in adults with autism spectrum conditions. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 47, 2519–2534.

• Hull, L., Mandy, W., Lai, M. C., et al. (2019). Development and validation of the Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire (CAT-Q). Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 49, 819–833.