An Occupational Science Contribution to Camouflaging Scholarship: Centering Intersectional Experiences of Occupational Disruptions

This publication is included in the Autistic Autism Scholarship Project. one author of this publication is identified as autistic in the project.

About the autistic author marker

Franklin, M. D., Taylor, E., Floríndez, D. C., Guzman, M., Lawson, T. L., Rios, J., & Angell, A. (2024). An Occupational Science Contribution to Camouflaging Scholarship: Centering Intersectional Experiences of Occupational Disruptions. Autism in Adulthood, 7(3), 238-248. https://doi.org/10.1089/aut.2023.0070

Publication date: 22 Apr 2024 Added to AutiHub: 30 Sep 2026 Type: Article Article language: English

This publication is integrated into AutiHub through:

Authors

Publication authors
7
Publication authors identified as autistic
1 / 7 (14.3%)

Abstract

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.

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: 2 Oct 2026 02:39.

Cited references
76
With a DOI
70
Without a DOI, from raw bibliography text
6
13 / 76 (17.1%) cited references include at least one author identified as autistic.
References with data to complete
4 / 76 (5.3%)
References with detected author names
72 / 76 (94.7%)
Without detected author names
4
Without a structured title
4
Without a stable identifier
6
References with raw author names still to review
4
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
223
From DOI or external metadata
223
From validated raw bibliography text
0
Raw names already validated
0
Raw names still to review
5
116 / 223 (52.0%) names are linked to an author already present in AutiHub. 107 / 223 (48.0%) names are not yet linked.
Names linked to a person identified as autistic
17 / 223 (7.6%)
Calculated across all author names detected in the cited bibliography. Among names linked to an author already present in AutiHub: 17 / 116 (14.7%). Distinct people identified as autistic: 16 / 189 (8.5%).
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