Autism is such a large spectrum, that I cannot speak for the needs and presentation of each individual. We are all exactly that, individuals. So, whilst I know the basics, I only know a small part of a spectrum that is riddled with complexities and varying symptoms. As a result of all that, I can only speak for myself when I talk about Autism and masking Masking the symptoms. I do this so often that it has become a natural behaviour. I can’t hide the anxiety and what it prevents me from doing, but I can cloak how it presents. Instead of having a breakdown in the middle of the street, I will hold it all in - much like suppressing a tic - and then let it all out when I am on my own. I ‘power through’ and focus on some random details to take my mind off the stimulation, and act as neurotypical as I possibly can. The issue with doing this is that when I get home I break down from all the over stimulation and become exhausted an in a stressed state. I become heightened and if somebody says anything to me I immediately feel like they’re ‘off’ and I’ve done something wrong. That’s one form of masking. Another is learnt behaviour. I can be very literal and I struggle to understand sarcasm. If you tell me something in a sarcastic tone, the chances are I won’t understand that you’re joking and will believe what you say. As time goes on, I have started to realise that different contexts and tones make the same words mean different things. It’s the same with popular sayings. ‘Pull your socks up’ ‘kill 2 birds with 1 stone’ and ‘don’t get your knickers in a twist’ are just 3 I can think of. I don’t know exactly what sayings like this mean. I have learnt the context in which they are used and that’s how I try to figure out when to say them myself. Unlike neurotypicals, this doesn’t come easily to me and many others with Autism. I assume that you wouldn’t notice my masking, that is of course unless I get the context of something extremely wrong. I don’t like to mention that this is something I do - I like to seem as neurotypical as possible - but it’s the reality of what somebody with Autism is likely to do