Massia Bailey | Masking: Unsustainable coping strategies for neurodivergent employees

From classrooms to boardrooms, neurodivergence is more prevalent, yet many schools and organisations are unprepared to meet the unique needs of their learners and employees.

My most recent article centred on neurodiversity in employment settings, generated some interest on the lived experiences of employees with autism, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, dyslexia, and other neurological differences. It presented and discussed some mechanisms that organisations can utilise to boost their neurotypical employees’ inclusive attitudes, as well as help neurodivergent employees develop a sense of belonging. This article discusses one of the outcomes of employer unpreparedness, employee masking.

DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION

Considering the global conversations surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, currently a hotbed of controversies in the US, Jamaica, as a relatively homogeneous society, in terms of race and cultural beliefs, might feel that we are excluded from making these considerations. However, I challenge you to look beyond the surface (skin colour, etc.) and explore the ways that we are different, whether neurologically or otherwise, and determine if implicit bias lies therein. You might be hard-pressed to admit that you are somewhat uncomfortable and intolerant about working with people who are and behave differently than you.

Therefore, my thesis is, organisations should enshrine a culture of inclusivity and acceptance using strategy and policy to create a safe space for neurodivergent employees. Inclusivity is a win-win competitive advantage, with absolutely no downside, yielding benefits for everyone involved. However, in order to accomplish this, organisations must be intentional in the development of a structured inclusion strategy that provides these employees with reasonable accommodations. In the absence of such intentionality, neurodivergent employees might be fearful to divulge their neurodivergence and instead resort to masking behaviours resulting in undue stress, emotional exhaustion, and pressure at work.

MASKING TO COPE

Simply put, masking entails hiding or concealing one’s traits during social interactions. It entails the conscious or subconscious effort by neurodivergent individuals to hide or suppress their natural behaviours in order to cope in workplaces designed for neurotypical people. This might include copying co-workers’ speech patterns, facial expressions or gestures to appear more ‘normal’, suppressing innate coping mechanisms like shaking, rocking and stimming, forcing themselves to give eye contact, and concealing challenges with reading, writing, spelling, language processing, processing speed, and executive functioning (planning and organisation skills). Other terms related to masking include ‘camouflaging’, ‘social camouflaging’, ‘compensatory strategies’, and ‘passing’. Whereas masking can prove beneficial for these employees in the short-term, such as landing that much need job, maintaining those behaviours over an extended period of time can lead to burnout and other detrimental outcomes.

NEGATIVE IMPACT OF MASKING

Masking behaviours weigh heavily on neurodivergent employees, but they mask to avoid stigma or negative perceptions in order to conform to workplace expectations of professionalism, prevent exclusion from desired career opportunities, or simply mask to minimise the risk of social rejection and isolation. For neurotypical people, this might appear as the normal expectation for employees to follow workplace behavior norms or polices, but for neurodivergent employees, compliance is easier said than done as some of their behaviours are determined by their neurobiology and are difficult for them to simply adjust and comply.

Overall, masking is burdensome, and in many cases, the end rarely justifies the means and ultimately neurodivergent employees pay the price for masking in the form of poor mental health outcomes (depression), physical exhaustion and burnout from constant self-monitoring, increased anxiety from fear of being discovered, and suicide ideation. A recent study explains that many neurodivergent employees see it as an adaptive response to a range of socially grounded workplace challenges and used masking as a strategy to safeguard against the threat of negative social and employment outcomes. Additionally, many neurodivergent employees report reduced job satisfaction and hesitancy in requesting accommodations that could make their work life easier due to concerns about being perceived as incapable or deficient.

EMPLOYEE PERSPECTIVE

The question that remains is this, what can employers do to alleviate the need for masking and pave the way for employees (neurodivergent and otherwise) to not conceal aspect of their identities and be their authentic selves in the workplace? The first step is to find out, preferably anonymously, what needs currently exist. A carefully worded survey, from the perspective of the employees, to assess work experiences can provide valuable insight for the need for reasonable accommodations. This survey should include closed and open-ended questions in order to elicit both quantitative and qualitative data about the worker experience. It should also evaluate sensory needs, preferred communication styles, and social expectations. Analysis of this data should shape any policy for inclusion going forward. From this survey organisations might find that their employees are thriving and might just need to determine what they are doing correctly and continue those same practices. Alternatively, from the survey it might be discovered that changes need to be made to the work environment and a deeper dive into what these changes will look like is the next course of action.

Following the outcomes of the survey, employers should proceed in educating and building awareness by providing training for leadership and staff on neurodiversity, including the impact of masking, in order to dispel common myths and foreground the strengths of diverse thinking using real-world examples and testimonials to build empathy and understanding. After building this common understanding, the next step would be to provide reasonable accommodations, promote authenticity and inclusion by celebrating neurodivergent perspectives in team meetings, and recognise their contributions stemming from out-of-the-box thinking and innovative problem-solving.

Massia Bailey, EdD is an applied learning scientist, special educator, and adjunct professor of education in Florida. Send feedback to learninganddevelopmentdoctor@gmail.com