Self-reported camouflaging behaviours used by autistic adults during everyday social interactions.
Julia Cook, Laura Crane, Laura Hull and 2 others
PMID 34180249WHAT IT FOUND
Autistic adults described four ways they manage social interactions: hiding personal or autistic traits, keeping engagement passive and safe, mimicking neurotypical communication, and actively building rapport.
They used scripts, limited self-disclosure, and focused on their partner's interests to control how they were perceived.
Key findings
01Participants described masking behaviours such as avoiding or limiting personal disclosures (64.7%), suppressing hand or arm movements like stimming (47.1%), and avoiding sharing factual or detailed information (41.2%).
02Innocuous engagement involved passive behaviours like maintaining eye contact (64.7%) and centring the social partner by guiding discussion to topics related to them (52.9%).
03Active self-presentation included asking questions (82.4%), discussing comfortable topics (70.6%), and using pre-planned or practised scripts (52.9%).
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
The sample was small (17 participants) and consisted only of verbally fluent adults with average to high-average intellectual abilities, so findings may not apply to autistic people with intellectual disabilities or limited speech. The study relied on self-report and conscious awareness of behaviours, meaning automatic or unconscious camouflaging may not have been captured. Participants were aware they were in a study about camouflaging, which may have influenced their behaviour during the social task. The study did not use a participatory or co-design approach with autistic people in the research team.
Declared interests
The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest. The lead author was funded by a doctoral scholarship from University College London.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret these behaviours as evidence of poor social skills or deficits. The study describes strategic adaptations used by autistic adults to manage social interactions and avoid negative evaluation, not a lack of ability.