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It’s great to be back with you all as we continue this deep dive into the world of autism and neurodivergence. Today, we are tackling a topic that has really taken the clinical world by storm over the last several years, and that is the concept of camouflaging and masking. Honestly, this is one of those areas where the research is moving so fast it can be hard to keep up, but it is also deeply personal for so many of the folks we see in our offices. I wanted to take some time to really look at the literature: what we actually know, what we think we know, and where the holes are. Because as much as we talk about “masking,” the science behind it is actually a lot more nuanced and a lot more complicated than it might seem on the surface.

Main Topics

00:01: Defining camouflaging as the conscious or unconscious strategies used to hide or compensate for autistic characteristics in social settings
01:45: The three core components of camouflaging: compensation, masking, and assimilation according to the Hull et al. (2019) framework
04:10: Methods for measuring camouflaging, including the CAT-Q self-report measure and the discrepancy method between cognitive ability and observed traits
06:45: The weak correlation between self-report and discrepancy measures and what that tells us about intention versus effectiveness
08:15: Prevalence of camouflaging in autistic versus non-autistic populations and its role as a broader form of impression management
10:20: Sex and gender differences in camouflaging and why females consistently report higher scores across studies
12:40: The significant mental health impact of camouflaging, including burnout, identity confusion, and suicidal ideation
15:15: Critical validity concerns regarding the CAT-Q and potential construct overlap with social anxiety

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About Dr. Jeremy Sharp

I’m a licensed psychologist and Clinical Director at the Colorado Center for Assessment & Counseling, a private practice that I founded in 2009 and have grown to over 20 clinicians. I earned my undergraduate degree in Experimental Psychology from the University of South Carolina before getting my Master’s and PhD in Counseling Psychology from Colorado State University. These days, I specialize in psychological and neuropsychological evaluation with kids and adolescents.

As the host of the Testing Psychologist Podcast, I provide private practice consulting for psychologists and other mental health professionals who want to start or grow psychological testing services in their practices. I live in Fort Collins, Colorado with my wife (also a therapist) and two young kids.

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569. Autism Mini-Series: Camouflaging and Masking Overview