In autistic communities and research, the word masking comes up a lot. It usually means hiding autistic traits or suppressing parts of ourselves to fit into neurotypical expectations.

But I don’t use the word masking. Why? Because, for me, I’ve never been able to “mask” in the way people describe it. I’ve never been able to fully pass as neurotypical — I don’t fit neatly into those expectations, and I don’t think I ever will. What makes more sense to me, and to many of my clients, is the idea of multiplicity.

Many of the people I work with — and myself too — live with dissociation. Sometimes it’s described clinically as “checking out” or “disconnecting” from thoughts, feelings, or even the body. But in my experience, dissociation is more layered than that.

You may have heard the term neurodiverse individual. It’s become increasingly common in conversation and even in some professional spaces. But technically, it’s not correct — and understanding why opens up a richer way to think about difference, variety, and identity.

Why RSD is anti-autistic