This Is Us
What Hiding My Autism Costs Me
It’s painful and exhausting to ‘mask’ Autism — but I have no other choice
Recently, I’ve become obsessed with the Instagram account MyAutisticPartner, which follows the lives of an allistic (that is, non-Autistic) man and his wife Boo, an Autistic nurse. It gives me a glimpse into a world I wish I could inhabit: a life where hiding my Autism isn’t necessary, because I am wholly understood, accepted, and loved, no matter how strange I am or how much support I require.
Boo’s husband runs the account for the most part, though Boo provides input on much of the content, consents to all the posts, and is more comfortable sharing photos of herself on the account than her husband is. The husband writes lovingly about Boo’s very Autistic habits, such as collecting toys and spending hours lining them up on the floor. He talks lightheartedly about how Boo finds certain hygiene requirements, like washing her hair, to be a sensory nightmare.
