Is masking always due to ASD?

[WalkOff]

My 9 year old DS has always been well behaved at school & with others, but can be really challenging at home often for no explicable reason.

Beginning to perhaps see a pattern with potentially masking type behaviour - but he doesn't seem to have any of the other traits that would necessarily be associated with ASD? (I'm no expert!)

Very much in the early stages of my own research, and I have tried Googling but I can't find anything that suggests either way if masking is particular to just ASD?

I read the explosive child a couple of years ago - I'll need to go back to it I think. We had thought he was perhaps maturing emotionally but a few extreme incidents recently suggest that's not the case sadly.

[Thatsnotmycar]

Masking isn’t always due to ASD, sometimes it can be other ND conditions such as ADHD and sometimes it can be due to mental health difficulties.

[WalkOff]

Thank you.

ADHD seems highly unlikely, can't think he has any MH difficulties as he can be fine for long stretches.

So hard when there's no easy diagnosis.

[Thatsnotmycar]

There are other types of neurodiversity too.

[Kite22]

No, it can be for any reason where a child can work really, really hard to "do the right thing" in one environment (usually school) but the effort is so great that they just lose it, when they are 'relaxed' at home.

[fretaway]

OP we are in the same boat.
8 year old is so well behaved at school, since term started again she’s been terrible at home. Doesn’t want to listen to anything we ask her to do, works herself up into a meltdown when she doesn’t get her own way. She’s always been sensitive to loud noises and has sensory issues with her clothes, but she is sociable with other children and makes friends.

I feel it’s pointless talking to school because she doesn’t cause problems there. We do wonder if she is autistic but at the same time could be anxiety.