Social challenges during high school
The social landscape often becomes more complex during adolescence.
Changes may include:
- Larger peer groups
- More subtle social expectations
- Changing friendship groups
- Increased pressure to fit in
- Online interactions through social media
Neurodivergent young people may find these changes particularly demanding. Many already feel different from their peers and may work very hard to appear socially typical.
Some young people engage in masking, where they consciously hide or suppress their natural behaviours to fit in socially. While masking can help avoid negative attention, it can also be emotionally exhausting.
Social stress is often one of the biggest challenges of the high school transition.
