It’s weird. I don’t feel like I’m masking, per se. Like, I don’t feel an internal pressure to present as neurotypical. They know that I’m struggling to regulate—I tell them—and they know I identify as neurodivergent and think that’s perfectly fine, just sometimes hard. But I also think they deserve a parent or caregiver who is compassionate and calm in the face of their struggles. I’m trying to find ways to give myself that ability to regulate in the moment… but when that isn’t an option, then I do what I described in the article. It’s sort of like a delayed regulation strategy, where I separate from my feelings until I have an appropriate space where I can feel them. Maybe some people would describe that as masking… for me, the intention and experience both feel different.