“I do all of this to make other people think I’m human”

Many of us engage in masking — disguising one’s natural behaviours to conform to perceived social norms. But for folks with autism, masking is an ongoing process to manage their interactions. Constantly manipulating your body language and responses is an exhausting and stressful way to live. For Jordan Roy, masking is a means to conform to people’s expectations of who he is so he can fit in. But living outside of yourself has considerable challenges. And this reality of living an experience most people don't understand is particularly challenging in modern dating.    Episode eight of What’s Your Story? is hosted and produced by Megan Creig.   This series is powered by Shaw and produced as part of the Community Podcast Initiative at MRU Journalism.