What Is the CAT-Q? A Plain-English Guide to Autistic Masking and Camouflaging
- Ryan Burns
- 4 days ago
- 8 min read
Last reviewed: 02/19/2026
Reviewed by: Dr. Kiesa Kelly
If you’ve searched cat-q autism, you’re probably trying to make sense of something that’s hard to explain: you can “do social,” but it feels effortful, scripted, and exhausting. The CAT-Q (Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire) is one tool that helps put words to that experience.
In this article, you’ll learn:
What autistic masking and camouflaging mean in plain English
What the CAT-Q measures (and what it does not)
Everyday signs you might be masking, even without realizing it
Why high masking can contribute to burnout, anxiety, or identity confusion
How to interpret CAT-Q patterns and choose next steps responsibly
💡 Key takeaway: Masking is often a nervous-system strategy for safety, belonging, or “getting through the day,” not proof that you’re being fake.
Masking in Plain English (and Why It’s So Common)
Masking (also called camouflaging) is any strategy you use to make your autistic traits less noticeable in social settings. That might mean hiding stims, rehearsing conversation, forcing eye contact, copying facial expressions, or pushing through sensory overwhelm without showing it. Researchers describe camouflaging as a set of strategies used to minimize the visibility of autistic characteristics during social interaction. [1]
Masking ≠ “fake”; it’s often safety and survival
Many people learn masking the same way we learn other “rules” for getting by: by noticing what gets punished or rewarded.
For some autistic people, masking develops after:
Bullying, teasing, or being labeled “weird”
Social rejection or repeated misunderstandings
Workplace pressure to “be more personable”
Family expectations to act “polite,” “mature,” or “normal”
In other words, masking can be a protective response to stigma. In qualitative research, autistic adults commonly describe masking as something they do to fit in, avoid negative attention, and navigate settings that don’t accommodate their natural communication style. [2]
Why many people don’t realize they’re doing it
Masking isn’t always a deliberate choice. Sometimes it becomes automatic, especially if you started doing it young.
A few reasons it can be hard to spot in yourself:
You’ve always thought “everyone prepares this much” for social interaction
You’ve learned to scan people for cues without noticing you’re scanning
Your masking looks like strengths (being agreeable, high-achieving, “great at customer service”)
You’re more aware of the after-effects (crash, shutdown, irritability) than the performance itself
🧠 Key takeaway: If masking has been your default for years, it can feel like personality rather than a strategy.
What the CAT-Q Measures (cat-q autism basics)
The CAT-Q is a research-based, self-report questionnaire designed to measure social camouflaging behaviors. It was developed from autistic adults’ descriptions of camouflaging and then validated in large autistic and non-autistic adult samples. [1]
The three areas (in plain-language terms)
The CAT-Q includes 25 items that cluster into three factors: compensation, masking, and assimilation. [1]
Here’s what those mean in real life:
Compensation: Building “workarounds” to handle social differences.
Examples: studying social rules, rehearsing stories, preparing questions in advance, using a mental checklist for small talk. [1]
Masking: Actively hiding traits or needs.
Examples: forcing eye contact, suppressing stimming, holding your face in a “neutral” expression, pretending you aren’t confused or overwhelmed. [1]
Assimilation: Trying to blend in, even when it feels unnatural.
Examples: laughing when you don’t get the joke, copying others’ slang, pushing yourself to stay at events long past your limit, or agreeing to plans to avoid standing out. [1]
What the CAT-Q is not measuring
It’s just as important to be clear about what the CAT-Q does not do.
The CAT-Q is not:
A diagnostic test for autism
A measure of intelligence, empathy, or “functioning”
A full picture of sensory needs, developmental history, strengths, or support needs
It’s a snapshot of strategies you may use in social situations. Researchers note that the CAT-Q captures one part of a complex phenomenon and should be considered alongside other information and methods. [1]
✅ Key takeaway: Think of the CAT-Q as a camouflaging lens on your experience, not a yes-or-no “autistic masking test.”
Signs You Might Be Masking (Everyday Examples)
You don’t need to relate to every example for masking to be part of your life. Many people show a mix, depending on context.
Social scripts and “performing normal”
You might be masking if you often:
Rehearse greetings, jokes, or “safe stories” before seeing people
Use a customer-service voice even with friends
Plan conversation topics in advance so you don’t freeze
Feel panicky when a conversation goes “off script”
Practical example: You can handle a work meeting because you know your role, your talking points, and the rules. But an unstructured lunch with coworkers feels much harder, even if you like them.
Copying others / monitoring yourself
Masking can look like constant self-monitoring, even when you’re not trying to.
Common signs include:
Tracking your facial expression so you don’t look “flat” or “intense”
Copying someone’s body language to seem relaxed
Mentally scoring your performance: “Too much? Too quiet? Too blunt?”
Forcing yourself to tolerate sensory discomfort without showing it
In studies of masking, people often describe mimicry and deliberate impression management, and many report feeling disconnected from themselves in the process. [4]
After-social crash and recovery time
One of the clearest clues is what happens after socializing.
You might notice:
A “social hangover” (headache, irritability, shutdown)
Needing hours or days to recover from a short interaction
Losing executive function after social effort (forgetting basics, trouble starting tasks)
Feeling numb or depersonalized afterward
🌙 Key takeaway: The crash isn’t weakness. It’s often a sign your nervous system has been working overtime. [4]
Masking Costs: Burnout, Anxiety, and Identity Confusion
Masking can be useful in the short term. It may help you keep a job, avoid conflict, or navigate unsafe environments. But research also links camouflaging with emotional exhaustion and poorer mental health outcomes for many autistic adults. [1–3]
Why masking can increase exhaustion
Camouflaging takes energy because it often involves:
Cognitive load (running scripts, monitoring cues, translating social rules)
Sensory suppression (pushing past discomfort, ignoring your body)
Emotional labor (managing others’ reactions, smoothing over misunderstandings)
Over time, chronic overload without adequate support can contribute to autistic burnout, which has been described as chronic exhaustion, loss of skills, and reduced tolerance to stimulus. [5]
Why it can look like anxiety or depression
When someone has been high masking for years, the stress can show up as:
Social anxiety (worrying you’ll “mess up” the performance)
Depressive symptoms (shutdown, low motivation, feeling hopeless)
Irritability or emotional volatility from sustained overload
In qualitative work, many autistic adults describe camouflaging as a response to stigma that can come with significant mental health costs. [3]
🧩 Key takeaway: Sometimes the “anxiety” isn’t just fear of people. It’s fear of what happens if you stop compensating.
Identity confusion: “Who am I without the mask?”
A painful part of long-term masking is the sense of losing track of your preferences, needs, and even your personality.
In research on masking experiences, participants commonly report feeling disconnected from their “true” self, and some describe masking as having a negative impact on identity and wellbeing. [4]
How to Use CAT-Q Results Responsibly
If you’re looking for CAT-Q scoring and CAT-Q score meaning, it helps to start with a grounded point: a number is information, not a verdict.
The CAT-Q uses a 1–7 response scale across 25 items, producing a total score (and subscale scores) that reflect how often you use camouflaging strategies. [1]
Interpreting patterns instead of fixating on a number
Instead of asking, “Is my CAT-Q score high enough?” consider questions like:
Which subscale is highest for me: compensation, masking, or assimilation?
In what settings does my camouflaging spike (work, school, dating, family)?
What do I pay for masking afterward (sleep, mood, shutdowns, pain, lost time)?
What would feel safer or more sustainable in my week?
Practical example: Two people can have the same total score, but very different stories.
Person A scores highest on compensation and finds that structured settings (classes, meetings) feel manageable, but unstructured social time is draining.
Person B scores highest on masking and notices they suppress stims, force eye contact, and ignore sensory needs until they hit burnout.
✨ Key takeaway: The most helpful CAT-Q “result” is often the pattern it reveals, not the total.
When to pair CAT-Q with AQ-10 or RAADS-14
If you’re doing autism screening adults style self-exploration, combining tools can help you form better questions for a clinician.
The AQ-10 is a brief autism screening questionnaire designed to flag whether a person may benefit from a full diagnostic assessment. [6] You can take our AQ-10 autism screener as part of broader self-reflection.
The RAADS-14 is another screening tool studied in adult psychiatric settings. [7] Like all screeners, it can have false positives and false negatives, and newer research continues to evaluate how well adult screeners perform in real-world services. [8,9]
If multiple screeners point in the same direction and your lived experience fits (lifelong differences, sensory patterns, burnout, social effort), that combination can be a useful prompt to seek a comprehensive evaluation.
Next Steps: Support That’s Neurodiversity-Affirming
If your CAT-Q results resonate, the next step doesn’t have to be “unmask immediately.” Safe support is about choice, pacing, and reducing unnecessary load.
Unmasking safely (choice + boundaries, not pressure)
Unmasking is not a moral requirement. In some environments, it can be unsafe.
A neurodiversity-affirming approach often focuses on:
Choosing where you mask (and where you don’t)
Practicing direct communication in low-stakes settings
Setting boundaries that reduce social overextension
Identifying sensory supports that help your body stay regulated
🛟 Key takeaway: The goal isn’t “no mask.” The goal is less harm and more agency.
Accommodations and load reduction
Many people find that small changes reduce the need to camouflage at all.
Examples:
Clear agendas and written follow-ups at work
Camera optional meetings
Quiet recovery time after social demands
Sensory supports (lighting, headphones, predictable routines)
Executive function scaffolds when burnout is high
If you want help translating insights into a practical plan, you can explore specialized therapy options or executive function coaching through ScienceWorks.
Take the CAT-Q + Explore Next Steps
Take the CAT-Q
If you’re looking for a camouflaging autistic traits questionnaire you can complete online, you can take the CAT-Q here: CAT-Q: Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire.
Explore our mental health screening tools and Tennessee telehealth options
You can also browse our mental health screening tools (including anxiety and depression screeners) to get a clearer snapshot of what’s feeling most urgent right now.
If you’re searching for a Tennessee online autism assessment, ScienceWorks offers ADHD and autism assessments via secure telehealth for adults and older teens who are physically located in Tennessee. [10]
To learn about evaluation options, visit our psychological assessments page or contact our team to request a free consult.
About the Author
Dr. Kiesa Kelly is a psychologist and the owner of ScienceWorks Behavioral Healthcare. She provides neurodiversity-affirming therapy and assessment services, with a focus on ADHD, autism, OCD, trauma, and related concerns. [11]
In addition to clinical work, Dr. Kelly has supported students as a university professor and brings a practical, plain-language approach to helping clients understand their patterns and build sustainable next steps. [11]
References
Hull L, Mandy W, Lai MC, Baron-Cohen S, Allison C, Smith P, et al. Development and Validation of the Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire (CAT-Q). J Autism Dev Disord. 2019;49:819–833. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-018-3792-6
Hull L, Petrides KV, Allison C, Smith P, Baron-Cohen S, Lai M, Mandy W. “Putting on my best normal”: Social camouflaging in adults with autism spectrum conditions. J Autism Dev Disord. 2017;47(8):2519–2534. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-017-3166-5
Cage E, Troxell-Whitman Z. Understanding the Reasons, Contexts and Costs of Camouflaging for Autistic Adults. J Autism Dev Disord. 2019;49(5):1899–1911. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-018-03878-x
Miller D, Rees J, Pearson A. “Masking is life”: Experiences of masking in autistic and nonautistic adults. Autism in Adulthood. 2021. https://doi.org/10.1089/aut.2020.0083
Raymaker DM, Teo AR, Steckler NA, Lentz B, Scharer M, Delos Santos A, et al. Defining autistic burnout through experts by lived experience: A grounded Delphi method. Autism in Adulthood. 2020. https://doi.org/10.1089/aut.2019.0079
Allison C, Auyeung B, Baron-Cohen S. Toward brief “Red Flags” for autism screening: The Short Autism Spectrum Quotient and the Short Quantitative Checklist for Autism in toddlers in 1,000 cases and 3,000 controls. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2012;51(2):202–212.e7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2011.11.003
Eriksson JM, Andersen LM, Bejerot S. RAADS-14 Screen: validity of a screening tool for autism spectrum disorder in an adult psychiatric population. Mol Autism. 2013;4(1):49. https://doi.org/10.1186/2040-2392-4-49
Jones SL, Hare DJ, Emsley R. The Effectiveness of RAADS-R as a Screening Tool for Adult ASD Populations. Autism Res Treat. 2021. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8452438/
Sturm A, Kohli-Lynch CN, Wigham S. Psychometric exploration of the RAADS-R with autistic adults. Autism. 2024. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/13623613241228329
ScienceWorks Behavioral Healthcare. ADHD and Autism Assessments for Adults and Older Teens in Tennessee. 2025. https://www.scienceworkshealth.com/info/adhd-and-autism-assessments-for-adults-and-older-teens-in-tennessee
ScienceWorks Behavioral Healthcare. Therapy & Assessments with Dr. Kiesa Kelly. https://www.scienceworkshealth.com/kiesakelly
Disclaimer
This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional diagnosis or treatment. If you are concerned about autism, burnout, anxiety, depression, or safety, seek evaluation and support from a qualified health professional.