Masking is one of the most crucial skills that autistic people develop. We learn to mask at an early age simply by copying our peers so that we become less of a target for bullies. In our working lives, we mask to become "one of team", to keep our jobs, to avoid being singled out and to avoid becoming the subject of gossip and speculation. It's no exaggeration to say that for an autistic person, the ability to mask is a life-saver. It is well established that very young autistics mask quite poorly and that as a general rule, our ability to mask improves as we get older, so that by the time they are adults in the workforce, many autistic people can pass undetected as "normal", most of the time. What's less established is that as autistic people pass middle-age, they mask less. This doesn't seem to be the loss of an ability so much as a choice, or perhaps simply the result of tiredness. Masking is, after all a very exhausting activity. While masking is v...
Autistic people are an incredibly diverse group, even within the broader neurodivergent community. We are diverse because we do not share all the same strengths and weaknesses, we have vastly different talents and interests. Other factors, such as our upbringing, political factors and our economic status also play key roles in determining our ability to operate within society. This is why a “one-size-fits-all” approach to housing simply doesn't work. In this post, I want to talk about the different types of living arrangements that autistic people may find themselves in and I want to discuss why some arrangements may be better suited to various sub-groups of individuals. There are essentially three major styles of living; Independent Living Supported Living Group or Residential Care For many, the ideal path is to first explore independent living, as it offers the most autonomy. However, it's crucial to find the option that best fits an individual's unique needs. It’s also...