The Misunderstood Reality of “High-Masking” and "Low Support Needs" Autism

One of the biggest misconceptions about being “high-masking” or “low-support-needs” autistic is the belief that there’s only a faint sliver of autism tucked somewhere inside and that the person is mostly “typical,” with just a hint of difference.

But low support doesn’t mean no support. And masking your autism for decades to seem “normal” doesn’t mean it isn’t there.

It often means you’ve spent most of your life camouflaging your struggles because showing them got you criticized, corrected, or even bullied. You learn to imitate, to study, to perform. You try to appear like everyone else, but inside, it’s loud, overwhelming, and exhausting. Over time, that effort to appear “fine” can lead to painful crashes, burnout, and worsening mental health, especially when there’s little understanding or support.

For a high-masking autistic person (and often one with ADHD, too), daily life can still include:

• Feeling completely drained after social interactions

• Needing intense focus just to follow social expectations or “rules”

• Experiencing painful sensory overload from lights, textures, or noise

• Replaying rejection or awkward moments for hours — or days

• Struggling to switch tasks or recover from interruptions

• Feeling intense anxiety when routines change unexpectedly

• Forgetting things mid-sentence, or suddenly being unable to do something that felt effortless yesterday

• Emotional meltdowns that seem to appear out of nowhere

These aren’t excuses. They’re explanations.

It’s easy for outsiders to assume someone is “fine” when they can appear composed, social, or competent. But masking is often a survival strategy; one that allows an autistic person to fit in just enough to avoid ridicule or rejection. The cost, though, is exhaustion, self-doubt, and a disconnect from your authentic self.

It’s draining for both the neurodivergent and the neurotypical, but that’s exactly why communication, patience, and empathy matter so much.

The more we understand that masking doesn’t erase challenges (but it hides them), the closer we get to real acceptance and support.