Autistic masking, also known as camouflaging or neurodivergent masking, is the conscious or subconscious suppression of autistic behaviors and compensation of difficulties in social interaction by autistic people with the goal of being perceived as neurotypical. Masking is a learned coping strategy that can be successful from the perspective of autistic people, but can also lead to adverse mental health outcomes. The process of consciously giving up masking, which some autistic people see as a desirable goal, is referred to as unmasking.

Forms of masking include suppressing certain behaviors that are considered "weird" by others, such as stimming or intense interests, and compensating for difficulties in social interaction with neurotypical peers by maintaining eye contact despite discomfort or mirroring the body language and tone of others. Masking may be a natural result of therapeutic approaches, such as applied behavioral analysis (ABA), which aims to help kids improve their function.

Masking can complicate a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), particularly past childhood, as relevant symptoms are suppressed or compensated for. Masking may also conceal the persons need for support, and it can lead to adverse mental health outcomes such as anxiety and depression. Autistic people who mask more show more signs of anxiety and depression, and the strategy may even be linked to an increase in suicidal behaviors.

It is important to recognize the signs of masking and understand its impact in order to offer support to autistic people. Unmasking may be a desirable goal for some autistic people who want to avoid adverse mental health outcomes and no longer hide their true identity.