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The Architecture of Invisibility: Why Neurodivergent Masking Isn't Resilience

For 50 years, I disappeared in plain sight. Tenured law professor, Fulbright scholar, immigrant success story, yet I was invisible, even to myself. At 63, my autism diagnosis revealed a devastating truth: the problem was never my brain. The problem was trying to exist in structures built for someone else.
This episode introduces my original framework: the architecture of invisibility; revealing how social structures systematically render neurodivergent people invisible while celebrating our "resilience" in surviving exclusion.
Through Sarah's story and groundbreaking research, we uncover the hidden cost of masking. A 2024 meta-analysis of 5,897 autistic participants found moderate correlations between camouflaging and anxiety, depression, and poor mental health. The revelation? Being autistic doesn't predict mental health problems. Hiding that you're autistic does.
We expose how this architecture operates across education, workplace, healthcare, and family systems, invisible barriers that force millions to "squeeze through doorways built too narrow."
Key insights:
- Why "resilience" often means successful invisibility
- How minority stress theory explains neurodivergent mental health
- Why inclusion requires redesign, not accommodation
- The intersectional impact on multiply marginalized identities
This isn't about fixing ourselves. It's about dismantling systems that demand we disappear to belong.
If you've ever felt exhausted from performing your own life, this episode will change how you see every institution you've navigated.

Stop squeezing through narrow doorways. Start demanding they be rebuilt.

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Thank you for listening to Neuro Rebel — the bilingual podcast where we flip the script on what it means to think differently. I’m your host, Anita: autistic, gifted, and a retired law professor on a mission to bring rigor, empathy, and a dash of rebellion to conversations about neurodiversity.

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Each week, we blend evidence-based deep dives, solo reflections, and candid interviews with researchers and lived-experience experts. Expect English ↔ Español segments, sharp wit, real stories and actionable insights you can share with friends, colleagues, and classrooms.

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⚠️ Disclaimer:
Opinions expressed here are mine alone and do not constitute professional...