How support systems interpret and reinforce autistic masking: introducing the concept of ‘visibility logic’

Autistic individuals who mask their traits are often perceived as too ‘high functioning’ to qualify for support, resulting in significant gaps in recognition and services. This qualitative study introduces the concept of visibility logic to describe how masking is not only misinterpreted but structurally reinforced by support systems. Based on interviews, the analysis reveals how professionals rely on external appearance to assess functioning and need. Participants describe masking as a double bind: it provides short-term protection from stigma but leads to burnout and invisibility, while visibly autistic behaviour risks exclusion and condescension. Professionals often interpret masking as competence, overlooking internal struggles and penalising authentic expression. Visibility logic refers to the expectation that needs must be outwardly observable and neurotypically legible to be validated. This logic creates epistemic barriers and misrecognition. Naming this mechanism allows for a better understanding of systemic exclusion and calls for structural change in support practices.