Unmasking Neurodivergence: Career Killer or Success Secret?

By Eric A. Levine, Ed.D. with Becky Shipkosky

Authenticity at work is a relatively new concept. To most of our parents and grandparents, work was a tool that afforded the house and fed the family. The vast majority of workers during the two centuries from the Industrial Revolution to the Tech Boom had a fairly simple routine: show up, clock in, do their job, and clock out. All this without ever expressing their true essences. And frankly, they might have laughed at the very idea.

In the 21^st century, however, as first-world culture adopts a paradigm of turning our passions into our careers, and as work demands more creativity from us (Anon. Professional, 2024), many of us find that we can no longer wait until the weekend to be ourselves. Indeed, workplaces do seem much more likely to embrace individuality than in previous eras.

But just how much of ourselves do we want to share with our colleagues, clients, students, or social media followers? The behaviors, truths, or personality traits that we choose not to share with the world are said to be masked. If you have neurodivergent* traits, you may be all too familiar with the experience and consequences of masking.

*Neurodivergence is a non-medical term that describes differences in brain function. For this post, we have focused primarily on autism, ADHD, and dyslexia. While the terms neurodiverse and neurodivergent are still settling into their respective, distinct meanings, for the purposes of this post, an individual is neurodivergent, and people are neurodiverse (both abbreviated as ND).

Masking Neurodivergence

Dr. Devon Price has articulated a liberal and well-researched definition of ND masking. The author’s complete definition spans the entire intro chapter of his book, Unmasking Autism. To paraphrase, ND masking means suppressing one's natural behaviors, traits, feelings, and preferences and mimicking those that are neurotypical in order to appear "socially acceptable."

To further paraphrase, masking can be conscious or subconscious. Neurodivergent people, whether diagnosed or not, receive feedback throughout their lives that they aren’t “normal,” which can lead them to hide behaviors or traits that don’t conform to neurotypical standards (Debbie Reber, 2022). Here are a few of the most common examples of masking among neurodivergent people:

• Resisting stimming behaviors such as hand flapping, rocking, or fidgeting.
• Forcing or faking eye contact.
• Memorizing or rehearsing scripts for given situations based on observations of NT behavior.
• Hiding or strategizing around difficulties with time management, organization, reading, writing, or comprehension.
• Mimicking “normal” gestures, facial expressions, vocal tone, or other mannerisms.
• Pushing through sensory discomfort from inputs such as loud or complex noises, bright light, or unpleasant textures.

Research indicates that Autistic, allistic (non-Autistic) ND, and neurotypical (NT) people all mask—there’s no indication that one group masks more than another. What is established through research, however, is that there is a direct correlation between a higher degree of masking and increased anxiety, depression, and suicidality among ND people (Pryke-Hobbes et al., 2023; Miller et al., 2021).

Masking and Unmasking at Work: Real-Life Insights

While acceptance, inclusion, and accommodation are increasing in general, and many workplaces are making strides, many others still struggle with fully embracing neurodiversity. Naturally, because being “found out” can represent a threat to livelihood, this adds to the pressure that ND employees already feel to fit in. It’s probably for this reason that many ND people find greater fulfillment in entrepreneurial roles where they can structure their work to leverage their strengths.

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We interviewed ten neurodivergent professionals about their experiences and wisdom regarding masking in professional life. Their professions included tech founder, mathematician, bank executive, and novelist. The following are the concepts that came up persistently throughout our conversations.

Authenticity

Not all, but most of the professionals we interviewed felt that the more they unmask, the more effective they can be. In varying ways, they expressed being able to better access their strengths and creativity, connect with clients and colleagues, and focus on their work.

Autonomy

A common element contributing to career success and fulfillment that nearly every professional brought up was the freedom to create and work within their own structures. Staying in the lines in most corporate environments requires a high degree of masking, which is particularly exhausting for ND professionals, often leading to burnout. Several professionals indicated that this need for autonomy goes back to their early childhoods.

Adaptation

A number of the professionals identified adjustments they made in their careers to increase success and reduce how much they needed to mask, including:

• Changing from employment to contract work for the same company.
• Arranging projects so that there was one primary collaborator rather than a team to interface with.
• Identifying and confirming clear success metrics at the beginning of any task or project.
• Taking a run before meetings to improve focus and reduce the need to fidget.
• Adjusting productivity expectations of oneself to prevent burnout and improve self-perception of success.

Accommodation

It isn’t always available, but many of the professionals we talked with mentioned accommodations they have received, would like to receive, or have provided to their employees, including:

• The ability to choose whether to work in the office or remotely, both overall and on any given day.
• Flexibility to work the hours that best suit them.
• Freedom to form their own workflow.
• Being permitted to go off-camera and respond in the chat field during Zoom meetings.
• Space to pursue projects that interest them within the scope of the business.
• Colleagues giving grace when they become restless in meetings.

Ultimately, the experiences of neurodivergent professionals suggest that unmasking, when done in the right environments, can be a key to unlocking career fulfillment and success. But it must be noted that nine of the ten individuals we spoke with are their own bosses, and larger companies remain unappealing to divergent thinkers. Those already employed within their ranks are likely masking and not accessing their full creativity. But businesses need affirmed neurodiversity if they want to compete and innovate. When enterprise thoroughly embraces neurodiversity, it stands to benefit profoundly.