Social Camouflaging

Social camouflaging involves masking or compensating for autistic traits to appear socially normative or assimilate socially. The article presents social camouflaging as a potential risk factor for poorer outcomes rather than only an adaptive social strategy. Camouflaging may contribute to missed or delayed autism diagnosis when autistic traits are concealed. Autistic people may camouflage to connect socially, reduce social stress, or navigate environments shaped by social expectations.