Development and pilot evaluation of the Children’s Masking Questionnaire

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Delara, L., Ayadi O’Donnell, N., Baldoza, S., Belcher, H., Halsall, J., O’Brien, S., Sanctuary, L., & Hull, L. (2026). Development and pilot evaluation of the Children’s Masking Questionnaire. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 17, 1893936-1893936. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2026.1893936

Publication date: 23 Jul 2026 Added to AutiHub: 8 Sep 2026 Type: Article Article language: English
Publisher source (DOI) Full text OpenAlex source

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Authors

Publication authors
8
Publication authors identified as autistic
1 / 8 (12.5%)
  1. Lema Delara
  2. Najette Ayadi O’Donnell
  3. Saffron Baldoza
  4. Hannah Belcher *
  1. Jo Halsall
  2. Sarah O’Brien
  3. Lucy Sanctuary
  4. Laura Hull

Abstract

Introduction No tools currently exist to measure children’s experience of masking/camouflaging autistic characteristics. Method Using co-production approaches, we developed the Children’s Masking Questionnaire (CMQ) and evaluated its acceptability and appropriateness as determined by family members, young people, and professionals through two qualitative studies. Results Participants felt the CMQ was useful and appropriate, and gave specific suggestions for improvement. Following refinement, a two-part CMQ (Adult Response and Child Response) and a Good Practice Guide were finalised, and are freely available to be used in research and practice. Discussion Future research should evaluate the CMQ in larger samples and compare its appropriateness across different neurodivergent and mental health conditions.

Bibliography cited by this reference

Cited references are imported from external metadata sources when they are available. The list may be partial.

Cited bibliography overview

These indicators describe the bibliography cited by this publication. An author name is counted each time it appears in one cited reference, so the same person can be counted more than once. Names not yet linked to an author already present in AutiHub are treated as unknown, not as non-autistic. Last computed: 12 Sep 2026 01:04.

Cited references
31
With a DOI
30
Without a DOI, from raw bibliography text
1
6 / 31 (19.4%) cited references include at least one author identified as autistic.
References with data to complete
1 / 31 (3.2%)
References with detected author names
30 / 31 (96.8%)
Without detected author names
1
Without a structured title
0
Without a stable identifier
1
References with raw author names still to review
0
References with external metadata lookup issues
0
These indicators apply to cited references displayed on this page, after technical duplicates have been merged. A reference without a DOI can still support author statistics when a title and author names are available.
Author names detected in the cited bibliography
123
From DOI or external metadata
123
From validated raw bibliography text
0
Raw names already validated
0
Raw names still to review
0
71 / 123 (57.7%) names are linked to an author already present in AutiHub. 52 / 123 (42.3%) names are not yet linked.
Names linked to a person identified as autistic
13 / 123 (10.6%)
Calculated across all author names detected in the cited bibliography. Among names linked to an author already present in AutiHub: 13 / 71 (18.3%). Distinct people identified as autistic: 12 / 101 (11.9%).
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