Tackle it Tuesday: Masking

October 23, 2024

Welcome to Tackle It Tuesday, a social media series where an autistic employee at AAoM (yours truly) writes workplace tips to better cope with the stresses of a working world not built for neurodiversity.

While creating the latest entry for AAoM’s social platforms, I realized that social media alone isn’t the ideal archive for all the past Tackle It Tuesday entries, as it shares space with all the other important work AAoM does. So, this blog companion was born!

This Tackle it Tuesday is on Masking in the Workplace, what it is, and what both neurodivergent and neurotypical people can do to lower the stress or even eliminate masking.

An image with a green background. There is a graphic in the middle of a person with an autism infinity symbol, with an arrow pointing to that same person using black tape to cover up that symbol. The text reads: "What Is Masking? Masking is the conscious or unconscious action of working to appear non-autistic to the wider world."

An image with a green background. There is a graphic in the bottom of a person with the covered autism infinity symbol with an arrow pointing to a box that lists school, work, errands, and outings. The text reads: "Why Mask? There are many times when someone would feel the need to mask in the workplace. After all, it’s a survival mechanism autistic people have to use for so many situations."

An image with a green background. There is a graphic in the bottom of a person with the covered autism infinity symbol giving a presentation to a group of individuals. There's sweat beads coming out of the presenting figure to represent anxiety. The text reads: "When Would Someone Mask? Customer Service Jobs Work Meetings Work Outings Some Presentations"

An image with a green background. There is a graphic in the bottom of a person with the covered autism infinity symbol out in the open with a group of individuals. There's sweat beads coming out of the presenting figure to represent anxiety, with another person in the crowd also masking in the same way. The text reads: "When Would Someone Mask? This can be subtle, just the idea of being seen in an open-air job surrounded by people can set off masking anxiety."

An image with a green background. There is a graphic in the bottom left of a person in an enclosed space with the tape covering their autism symbol on the wall. The text reads: "Minimize Masking Take breaks when you need to. Find places/people where you feel safe. Always have an escape plan. Experiment! Time will let you figure out when to mentally prep yourself if needed."

An image with a green background. The text reads: "For Neurotypical People Just be mindful. Talk in a clear manner, with as little corporate jargon as possible. If you notice social things that are “odd”, don’t pay it much mind. Being someone that the autistic person isn’t worried about masking with will work wonders."

An image with a green background. There is a graphic in the bottom of a two people talking. The person with the slipping tape on the autism symbol is expressing that email is their preferred mode of communication, and the person without a symbol is expressing approval. The text reads: "If asked a question, answer in a clear, concise manner. If you notice different communication styles that they are more comfortable with, try adapting to those. "

An image with a green background. There is a graphic in the bottom of five people smiling. Two of them are autistic people taking off the black paper to show their autism symbols on their chest. The text reads: "Joys of a Mask-Free Workplace Whatever someone’s neurotype is, being accommodating will make work life better for everyone!"

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