Taking our test should not be viewed as a comprehensive or precise evaluation of your abilities. Results are for informational and self-reflection purposes only.
Take the free masking and camouflaging reflection. 12 questions reflecting on compensation, masking, and assimilation, grounded in established camouflaging research. Instant results revealing how much social energy you spend performing neurotypicality. This is a self-reflection tool, not a clinical assessment.
Masking (also called camouflaging) is the conscious or unconscious suppression of neurodivergent traits to appear neurotypical in social situations. This reflection looks at three strategies described in established camouflaging research: Compensation (learned social scripts), Masking (hiding natural traits), and Assimilation (changing your identity to fit in).
High masking is associated with increased anxiety, depression, and autistic burnout, even when it appears socially "successful." Autistic women consistently show higher masking scores than autistic men, which partly explains why women are diagnosed later or missed entirely. Understanding your masking patterns is the first step toward reducing unnecessary performance and protecting your energy.
Your masking profile, compensation, masking, and assimilation scores
Energy cost, how much cognitive energy you spend on social performance
Research context, how your scores relate to published camouflaging research
Unmasking strategies, practical ways to reduce unnecessary social performance
A private result with no signup and no email, your reflection stays on your screen and is never shared
Reflection prompts, not instructions, gentle next steps to think about, paced to whatever feels safe for you
I have learned specific social scripts, phrases, expressions, topics, that I use to navigate conversations more smoothly.
12 questions, 3 min. Auto-advance — no manual Next.
Instant breakdown of your profile. Free, shareable, saved if you sign in.
Premium unlocks the full report — careers, strengths, growth paths.
Take the free masking and camouflaging reflection. 12 questions reflecting on compensation, masking, and assimilation, grounded in established camouflaging research. Instant results revealing how much social energy you spend performing neurotypicality. This is a self-reflection tool, not a clinical assessment.
No signup needed — your result appears instantly.
Masking is most studied in autism, but it also occurs in ADHD, social anxiety, and among people from marginalised groups who feel pressure to conform. If you score high on this test but don't identify as autistic, your scores are still valid and meaningful, the energy cost of performing is real regardless of diagnosis.
No. Some masking is a useful social skill, everyone adjusts their behaviour somewhat in different contexts. The problem arises when masking becomes constant, exhausting, and prevents you from being authentic. Peer-reviewed research suggests high masking correlates with anxiety, depression, and burnout.
Peer-reviewed research consistently suggests that autistic women score higher on masking measures than autistic men. This contributes to later or missed diagnosis in women. However, masking exists across all genders, and the broader camouflaging research describes the strategies people use across gender groups.
No. This is a self-reflection tool, not a clinical assessment, and it cannot diagnose autism, ADHD, or anything else. It is grounded in established camouflaging research, the three strategies of compensation, masking, and assimilation, but it produces a reflection, not a clinical score. If you have questions about diagnosis, a qualified professional is the right person to talk to.
