Published on 12, July, 2020
I'm not sure that it does. My psychiatrists over the years and my sister have described me as very intelligent . However I have much lower non-verbal than verbal intelligence. I struggle with day to day practical tasks. I get quite a bit of help from my stepdaughter and someone who comes in twice a week to clean. The help is described in my care plan as enabling me to continue living independently in my flat.
To be honest, I have never read a satisfactory explanation of what is meant by the term high-functioning. Regardless of any hitherto established clinical definition, it seems to be used in common parlance to describe both autistic individuals of average or above average intelligence on the one hand, and autistic individuals who exhibit supposedly 'milder' or fewer of the traits conventionally associated with autism spectrum conditions on the other. The problem is, of course, that these two things are not synonymous and so ensues massive confusion and misapprehension. I thought the term was being phased out in clinical practice, but perhaps I am mistaken?
My main issue with terms like high-functioning and what it insinuates, I suppose, is that high intelligence is so frequently mistaken for the ability to maintain independence in this current modern society (earn a living, pay bills, navigate public transport, understand contractual arrangements for housing, etc.), and the two, as far as I'm concerned, are only tangentially connected at best.