Don’t assume I’m masking

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Don’t assume I’m masking
By consentsquad
November 24, 2020

There’s this narrative around masking––in my head, if not in yours. Here’s how it goes:

If an autistic adult seems neurotypical while socializing, they’re not being authentic. They’re using analytically-learned techniques to mimic neurotypical eye contact and mannerisms. They’ll suffer later from the strain of acting neurotypical for too long. AFAB people are diagnosed less often as children not because we didn’t matter very much to the adults around us, but because we supposedly learned to mask at a young age.

I can start panicking when I hear these narratives. My brain already seems impossible or alienating to neurotypical people. Where do I fit in if other autistic people feel the same way?