Social masking

Pressure to hide can be stronger at school or work

Proposed in research

An adult survey including people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism, or both found that participants felt more pressure to hide themselves at school or work. They felt less pressure around people sharing their diagnosis. The group with ADHD alone showed the same pattern(Wurth et al., 2025).

A high masking score does not mean greater ADHD difficulties

Proposed in research

In a comparative study of adults, the ADHD group scored higher on a masking questionnaire than controls. However, an analysis including people with ADHD, autism, or both found an association between autistic traits and total scores. The association with ADHD traits was not statistically significant(van et al., 2024).

The questionnaire was originally designed to measure hiding autistic traits. A high score cannot be read directly as more severe ADHD symptoms, or as evidence that a particular compensatory method is harmful.

Describing specific needs need not mean disclosing a diagnosis

Proposed in research

In interviews with working adults with ADHD, approaches varied. Some disclosed their diagnosis only to selected colleagues or managers. Others did not discuss their diagnosis and instead described the support they needed to organize and plan their work(Oscarsson et al., 2022).

Experiences after disclosure varied: some felt relief and improved relationships with colleagues; others encountered a lack of understanding or feared discrimination. Describing needs and disclosing a diagnosis can be separate choices. No single approach suits every workplace(Oscarsson et al., 2022).