Today’s episode examines the concept of passing, or social masking, as an exhausting form of sensory labor performed by autistic individuals. The author of the source article, Dr. Jaime Hoerricks, explains that appearing “fine” in public is actually a complex process of hidden arithmetic, where the individual constantly calculates the personal cost of enduring overwhelming environments. Whilst observers often mistake this survival for true access, Dr. Hoerricks argues that these performances lead to a delayed physical and emotional bill paid in private. This trap of competence means that the more successfully an autistic person blends in, the less likely they are to be believed when they eventually need support. Ultimately, she challenges a society that equates quiet endurance with success, advocating for a world where accessibility is proactive rather than a reward for suffering.

Here’s the link to the source article: https://open.substack.com/pub/autside/p/the-first-autistic-person-the-first-57b

Let me know what you think.

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