Table 2.

Themes and Example Codes

Themes	Example codes
1. External Manifestations: What is seen by others	1. Verbal/nonverbal strategies, clothing, interests.
2. “Life is masking, masking is life”: Internal Identity	2. All encompassing, loss of self. Who am I?
3. “A huge emotional and physical toll”: Masking as a resource drain	3. Burnout, conscious/unconscious effort, resource drain, unnatural.
4. Neurotype Nuances (Autistic group only)	4. Hiding sensory issues, memory used for masking.
5. “No one believes me”: External Consequences	5. Prevents real connection, for whose benefit, cannot win.
6. “Masking is the language of NTs”: External Influences	6. Self-protection, fear of repercussions, consequences.
7. Time	7. Harder with age, practice, long term.