Masking & Burnout: Understanding Autistic Camouflaging
- Ryan Burns
- 5 days ago
- 6 min read
What is camouflaging - and why is it so draining?
Camouflaging (often called masking) refers to strategies autistic people use to hide, compensate for, or work around autistic traits to fit expected norms—like forcing eye contact, scripting conversations, or mimicking social behaviors.
Research shows that the more someone feels they have to mask, the more anxiety and lower wellbeing they tend to report (2). Camouflaging can also be common in the female autism phenotype—the ways autism can present differently in many women and AFAB (assigned‑female‑at‑birth) people—contributing to under‑recognition and later diagnoses (3, 4).
Quick take: Camouflaging may help you “pass” in the short term, but doing it all day, every day is metabolically and emotionally expensive—and that long‑term cost is a major pathway to autistic burnout (1, 5).
Sensory debt: how overload accumulates over days and weeks
If your nervous system is working overtime to filter sounds, lights, textures, and social signals, even a “normal” day can run your brain like a marathon. Sensory processing differences are common in autism and correlate with internalizing symptoms when environments aren’t adapted (6, 7). Over time, small daily overdraws - fluorescent lighting, loud cafeterias, crowded meetings - create sensory debt: a cumulative load that leaves you less resilient tomorrow than you were today.
Signs sensory debt is piling up
You end most days overstimulated (headache, “fried” feeling) and need long recovery time.
Your tolerance for noise, touch, or surprises keeps shrinking.
You notice more shutdowns, meltdowns, or “flat battery” days after social/heavy weeks.
Micro‑adjustments that reduce debt
Noise management: over‑ear headphones or custom loops at work/school (6).
Visual environment: softer lighting, screen filters, high‑contrast reduction.
Task design: asynchronous communication, fewer meetings, predictable agendas.
Body budget breaks: short movement, hydration, nutrition, and “quiet minutes” between tasks.
Want structured support to map patterns and track improvement? Our clinicians integrate self‑report measures and goal tracking across visits. Learn more about our process.
Safe‑to‑unmask spaces: relief that protects health
Studies and lived‑experience research consistently describe the mental‑health costs of camouflaging—including greater anxiety, depression, and exhaustion when masking is sustained across settings (2, 5, 8).
Building safe‑to‑unmask spaces - places, relationships, and routines where you don’t have to perform - can lower daily load and reduce the risk of autistic burnout (1, 5).
Build your unmasking map
People: Identify 1–3 “green‑light” people who welcome stimming, silence, direct communication, or scripts—no explanations needed.
Places: Create sensory‑friendly zones at home/work (low light, low noise, weighted blanket/pressure options).
Policies: Agree on signals and boundaries (e.g., “hat = quiet,” camera‑off time, chat‑first instead of surprise calls).
Schedules: Protect recovery blocks after high‑demand events; use buffers before/after social or public‑facing tasks.
For many women and non‑binary folks, unmasking safely is a core part of care because presentation can differ by gender and cultural expectations (3, 4).
If this is you, consider neurodiversity-affirming care to get the resources you deserve.
Energy‑based planning
Think of energy like a daily budget. Camouflaging, task‑switching, and sensory processing all “charge rent.”
Energy‑based planning means matching your day to your actual energy profile instead of wishful thinking.
Step‑by‑step:
Log a week. Note when you’re most alert vs. drained; mark high‑demand contexts (meetings, classrooms, stores).
Categorize tasks. Label tasks as high, medium, or low demand—social, cognitive, and sensory.
Design the arc. Put 1–2 high‑demand blocks on your “peak” hours, never back‑to‑back. Insert recovery micro‑breaks every 45–90 minutes.
Batch and buffer. Group similar tasks; add a 10–20‑minute buffer after any high‑demand event.
Pre‑commit unmasking. Build guaranteed “mask‑off” spaces into each day.
Example schedule (office day)
8:30–9:00 — Headphones on, low‑stim warm‑up (email triage, plan).
9:00–10:15 — High‑demand meeting (camera optional); 10‑minute quiet break.
10:25–11:30 — Solo deep work; lights dimmed; status set to “focus.”
11:30–12:15 — Restorative break (walk/stretch), simple lunch.
12:15–1:30 — Medium‑demand collaboration block; chat‑first, camera‑optional.
1:45–2:30 — Low‑demand admin; schedule next buffers; short stim movement.
2:45–3:30 — Second deep‑work sprint (only if energy allows). End with shutdown routine.
Executive Function Coaching can help you develop and maintain your own plan.
Self‑compassion practices
Research associates chronic camouflaging with poorer mental health (2, 5, 8). Self‑compassion is not “letting yourself off the hook”; it’s a protective skill that reduces shame and makes sustainable change possible.
Try these (3–5 minutes each):
Name & normalize: “This is sensory debt talking; anyone’s brain would be exhausted right now.”
Kind cueing: Use a supportive inner‑voice script you’d offer a friend after a hard day.
Body budget repair: Quick intake—water, protein/fat snack, gentle movement—and 90‑second eyes‑closed rest.
Boundary rehearsal: Practice a one‑line script: “I need camera‑off to focus; I’ll be more present that way.”
Values micro‑step: Choose the smallest action that moves you toward a value (message a friend; step outside for light).
How ScienceWorks can help
At ScienceWorks Behavioral Healthcare, our practice is neuropsychologist‑led, research‑informed, and affirming.
Differential diagnosis for autism/ADHD and related conditions, with attention to female autism phenotype features and camouflaging patterns (3, 4).
Collaborative feedback with practical, individualized recommendations you can use at work, school, and home.
Start with a free consultation.
Gentle, evidence‑based care for co‑occurring conditions (e.g., I‑CBT/ERP for OCD, EMDR for trauma, CBT‑I for insomnia), adapted for sensory needs and energy budgeting.
Meet our team
Executive Function Coaching translates goals into daily structure—routines, buffers, and communication scripts that reduce masking load.
See how we integrate care across services: Coaching and Groups.
Frequently asked questions
Is autistic burnout the same as clinical depression?
They can overlap, but autistic burnout is defined by chronic exhaustion, reduced skills, and heightened sensory sensitivity after sustained demands and insufficient supports. Clinicians should assess for both—and treat the drivers (1, 9).
Is masking “bad”?
Masking is a strategy—sometimes adaptive, sometimes costly. The key is choice and recovery time. The more autonomy and support you have to unmask safely, the lower your risk (2, 5).
Does this mainly affect women?
Camouflaging is seen across genders, but presentation differences and social expectations can make it particularly pronounced in people who identify as female, contributing to later or missed diagnoses (3, 4).
Key takeaways
Autism masking burnout emerges when camouflaging, sensory debt, and constant demands outpace supports (1).
Reducing sensory debt, creating safe‑to‑unmask spaces, and using energy‑based planning lower risk.
Assessments, therapy, and coaching—delivered in a neurodiversity‑affirming way—help you personalize change that lasts.
About the Author
Kiesa Kelly, PhD is a neuropsychologist and the owner of ScienceWorks Behavioral Healthcare. She has 20+ years of experience with psychological assessment and provides neurodiversity‑affirming evaluations and therapy for OCD, trauma, insomnia, ADHD, and autism. Dr. Kelly integrates modern measures and collaborative feedback to build clear, practical care plans.
Disclaimer
This article is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Individual results and experiences vary. If you’re in crisis, use local emergency resources.
References and Citations
(1) Raymaker, D. M., Teo, A. R., Steckler, N. A., et al. (2020). Defining autistic burnout through adults’ lived experience. Autism in Adulthood, 2(2), 132–143. https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/full/10.1089/aut.2019.0079
(2) 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(3), 819–833. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10803-018-3792-6
(3) Hull, L., Petrides, K. V., & Mandy, W. (2020). The Female Autism Phenotype and camouflaging: A narrative review. Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 7(4), 306–317. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40489-020-00197-9
(4) Bargiela, S., Steward, R., & Mandy, W. (2016). The experiences of late‑diagnosed women with autism spectrum conditions. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 46(10), 3281–3294. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10803-016-2872-8
(5) Cage, E., Di Monaco, J., & Newell, V. (2019). Understanding the reasons, contexts and costs of camouflaging for autistic adults. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 49(5), 1899–1911. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6483965/
(6) Marco, E. J., Hinkley, L. B. N., Hill, S. S., & Nagarajan, S. S. (2011). Sensory processing in autism: A review of neurophysiologic findings. Pediatric Research, 69, 48R–54R. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21289533/
(7) Chen, Y., Li, B., Li, Y., et al. (2024). Relationship between sensory processing and internalising/externalising in autism: Systematic review and meta‑analysis. Clinical Psychology Review, 107, 102538. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0272735824001375
(8) Bradley, L., Shaw, R., & Baron‑Cohen, S. (2021). Autistic adults’ experiences of camouflaging and its impact on wellbeing. Autism in Adulthood, 3(4), 362–373. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8992917/
(9) Mantzalas, J., Richdale, A. L., & Lillywhite, A. (2022). What is autistic burnout? A thematic analysis of autistic adults’ accounts. Autism in Adulthood, 4(2), 136–145. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8992925/
