" Masking is an autistic trait, but autistics don't mask because we are autistic. We mask because we have been traumatized from being in a society where everything we do is criticized because we don't fit the norm. " - autistic advocate Morgaan Foley. This quote shows what many autistic people experience: masking isn't a natural part of being autistic. It happens because society treats autistic behavior as wrong and constantly criticizes it. This is what autism masking really