Behind Our Masks: The Impact of Intersectional Identity on Neurodivergent Masking

Abstract

This research paper examines how gender and ethnocultural identity intersections impact when, why, and how individuals with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), autism, and Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) mask nonverbally. A qualitative study combining autoethnography, interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA), and thematic analysis (TA) was conducted with 40 primary written and digital accounts of masking, focusing on women and non-binary folks and individuals with non-Western ethnocultural backgrounds. Results reveal the diversity of masking and identity formation experiences in the intersectional neurodivergent community and identify directions for future exploration such as Asian American and indigenous neurodivergent identity formation and conceptualization, conflation of sensitivity with sexist language and stereotypes, and legacies of racism and colonization. A broader, unifying theme of catering to external social expectations (i.e., gender roles, racial and ethnocultural stereotypes) resulting in estrangement from one’s own body, needs, and sense also emerges. A shift towards more integrative, holistic, and body-based medical and psychological frameworks is thus critical for the effective recognition and treatment of intersectional neurodivergent brains and bodies. Overall, this generative research reveals how we must move towards viewing neurodivergent identities as inherently personal and cultural such that we can accurately capture the interconnected, multifaceted nature of intersectional neurodivergent identities.