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Camouflaging, the masking of neurodivergent traits to blend in with the dominant neurotypical society, is reported among autistic women. At the core of camouflaging, however, is the desire to belong, which is yet to be explored in the literature despite its costly impacts on one's quality of life. Occupational science, a discipline concerned with human doing and belonging is uniquely situated to address camouflaging. Yet, camouflaging has not been explored from an occupational science lens. Therefore, in this conceptual article, we first explore the unique perspective that occupational science contributes to camouflaging scholarship. Given the dearth of camouflaging research and scholarship on autistic women with intersecting identities (e.g., Black autistic women), we draw from Bailey and Mobley's Black Feminist Disability Framework. Second, analyzing existing qualitative narratives in camouflaging research, we illuminate "occupational disruptions," or potential risk factors of camouflaging, focusing on the work environment, educational settings, and interpersonal and intimate relationships. We highlight the importance of understanding Black autistic women's unique experiences of occupational disruptions. Third, we consider how unmasking is a privilege not granted to those beyond the margins. Finally, we conclude with implications and future directions for interdisciplinary research and scholarship, including a critique of our discipline's paradoxical relationship between belonging theory and camouflaging, therapeutic considerations (masking vs. unmasking safely), and a call to action for scholars, practitioners, and allies to challenge the need for camouflaging to belong, thereby mitigating existing occupational disruptions.
Franklin et al. (Mon,) studied this question.