A woman wearing glasses and a green sweater smiles at the camera
Posted inAutism perspectives Student

Erin Salmon, honours student

Students can take the elective subject - Understanding and Support for Autism - We sat down to speak with Erin Salmon, who undertook the subject last year and has gone on to do her Honours thesis with OTARC.
Masking, Camouflaging & Compensating in Autism
Posted inAutism perspectives Camouflaging Masking

Masking, Camouflaging & Compensating in Autism

Camouflaging, masking, blending in, compensating, impression management; we all do this to an extent. Imagine you’re invited to a work dinner with your colleagues. You get ready, thinking about what’s appropriate to wear, what to bring, and some topics to bring up (and avoid) if there are lulls in conversation. In Autism, the stakes are higher, and the task is more difficult. When social skills do not come intuitively, getting through this event requires cognitive effort, concentration and learning, a bit like doing complex algebra on the fly.

Two girls stroll along a path
Posted inAutism and gender News

Autism in Girls and Women

Autism in girls and women often presents differently than in males, with many girls masking their symptoms, leading to underdiagnosis and a need for more nuanced assessment approaches to uncover their unique experiences and support needs.