If you are Black and autistic, you probably learned how to code-switch before you even knew what it was. Whether it was changing how you spoke at school, adjusting your body language in professional spaces, or making sure you didn’t come off as too much, code-switching became second nature.
At the same time, you were probably masking your autism without realizing it. Suppressing stims, forcing eye contact, memorizing social scripts—doing whatever it took to blend in and not draw attention.
Code-switching and masking are both exhausting on their own… but doing them at the same time? That’s a level of mental gymnastics that leaves many of us feeling drained, disconnected, and burnt out.
Let’s talk about why this happens, how it affects us, and what we can do to navigate it.
What is Code-Switching?
Code-switching is when you adjust your speech, tone, and behavior to fit into different social environments.
✔ Many Black people code-switch to avoid being seen as unprofessional, uneducated, or threatening
✔ It can involve changing how you speak, your facial expressions, and even your body language
✔ It often starts in childhood, when we learn that being “too Black” can lead to consequences
For Black autistic people, this is not optional—it’s survival.
What is Masking?
Masking is when autistic people hide or suppress their natural traits to fit in.
✔ It can look like forcing eye contact, mimicking tone, or rehearsing responses
✔ It often involves suppressing stims, flattening emotions, or mimicking neurotypical behavior
✔ Many of us don’t even realize we are masking until we hit autistic burnout
If code-switching is about adapting to racial expectations, masking is about adapting to neurotypical expectations. Doing both at the same time creates a double layer of exhaustion.
Why Is It So Hard to Do Both?
✔ It’s Like Running Two Different Social Scripts at Once
- When you are code-switching, you are adjusting for race
- When you are masking, you are adjusting for autism
- Keeping track of both means you are constantly analyzing how you sound, how you move, and whether you are getting it right
✔ One Set of Rules Might Contradict the Other
- In some Black spaces, eye contact is seen as confrontational, while in neurotypical spaces, it’s expected
- In professional settings, being too blunt can be seen as aggressive, but masking autistic bluntness can make conversations even harder
- There is constant pressure to manage perception, and it’s exhausting
✔ People Expect Perfection from You in Both Areas
- If you fail to code-switch “correctly,” you risk being seen as too unprofessional, too casual, or too different
- If you fail to mask “correctly,” you risk being seen as too awkward, too blunt, or too distant
- The fear of making a mistake keeps many of us stuck in survival mode
✔ There’s No Safe Space to Fully Unmask or Be Yourself
- In predominantly white spaces, we feel pressure to code-switch
- In neurotypical spaces, we feel pressure to mask
- In Black spaces, autism is often misunderstood, so even there, masking can feel necessary
- Many of us feel like we don’t fully belong anywhere
The Long-Term Impact of Code-Switching and Masking
✔ Chronic Exhaustion
- Your brain is constantly running double the calculations in every social interaction
- Even short conversations can leave you feeling mentally drained and physically tired
✔ Identity Confusion
- When you spend years code-switching and masking, it can be hard to figure out who you actually are
- Many of us reach adulthood feeling disconnected from our true selves because we’ve spent so much time adjusting for others
✔ Increased Burnout
- The constant pressure to perform eventually leads to burnout
- Some of us shut down completely, avoiding social interactions altogether just to protect our energy
How to Navigate Both Without Burning Out
❤ Find Spaces Where You Can Drop at Least One Mask
- If you can’t unmask completely, try to find spaces where you can at least drop one layer of performance
- That might mean being around other Black autistic people, where you don’t have to code-switch or mask as much
❤ Practice Small Acts of Unmasking
- Instead of forcing yourself to fully mask all the time, experiment with letting go of small things
- Maybe you stop forcing eye contact in a meeting, or you let your natural speech pattern show up in casual conversations
❤ Acknowledge That Exhaustion is Real
- If you feel drained after social interactions, that’s not a personal failure
- You are not lazy, weak, or unmotivated… you are carrying a heavier social load than most people ever realize
❤ Give Yourself Permission to Prioritize Rest
- If socializing wears you out, schedule recovery time afterward
- You don’t have to be available to everyone all the time… protecting your energy is not selfish
If you are struggling with code-switching and masking at the same time, it’s because you have been forced to adapt in ways most people never have to think about. The world expects you to perform in ways that are unrealistic and unsustainable.
You deserve spaces where you don’t have to constantly adjust, explain, or shrink yourself to fit in. Finding those spaces takes time, but until then, just know that what you are carrying is heavy… and it’s okay to put it down sometimes.
As always… take what resonates, leave what doesn’t, and know that you are not alone in this journey. ❤