Published on 12, July, 2020
We often get posts on the form asking for advice with autistic children. And I can't help but notice the requests overwhelmingly relate to low functioning autistic children. As someone who is quite high functioning and had a very disrupted and turbulent childhood I can guarantee you it's not because high functioning autistic children don't have just as many issues. Nore is it that high functioning autistic children are particularly rare. We recently had a discussion on this point in another thread and figures I dug up indicated around 40%+ of autistic children being diagnosed these days are of average or above average intelligence.
So the question I'm asking is this. Why don't those parents come looking for help? Is it because the main stream schooling and support systems are so much better at supporting high functioning children? I doubt it. Is it because they tend to think of their child’s behaviour as 'naughty' not 'autistic?' Is it maybe they don't accept or agree with their child’s diagnosis? What do you think it is?
More to the point:
Edit ps: For the simplification of this entire discussion and to avoid a long drawnout arguments over semantics. Instead of high functioning we shall say high IQ meaning an IQ of 85+ and instead of low functioning we will say low IQ meaning an IQ less than 85. As measured on a standard clinically approved IQ test.
The problem with that interpretation is that teachers are effectively playing a Numbers game. If you have 29 NT kids in your class and you can raise each of their grades 1 mark with the time it would take to raise the autistic kids grades 10 marks you are incentivised to ignore the autistic kid for those 29 collective marks.
large class sizes and poorly chosen target metrics naturally leads to a one size fits all approach
For the simplification of this entire discussion and to avoid a long drawnout arguments over semantics. Instead of high functioning we shall say high IQ meaning an IQ of 85+ and instead of low functioning we will say low IQ meaning an IQ less than 85. As measured on a standard clinically approved IQ test.
Support needs would be inaccurate. I’m taking about intelligence, in practical terms low vs high IQ. If you prefer we can use low IQ autism instead of low functioning.
Thank you so much once again, I really appreciate it :D
Right so Aucademy is a great starting point:
https://aucademy.co.uk/
Aucademy is an excellent autistic led education platform about autistic experiences:
https://aucademy.co.uk/starting-your-autistic-discovery-journey-a-guide/
Aucademy YouTube channel:
https://youtube.com/@aucademy6195?si=J-bxzMYDuz3x9Ofe
Neuroclastic - collection of blog and resources by autistics:
https://neuroclastic.com/
Autisticality - great, easy to understand infographics about autistic experience:
https://www.autisticality.co.uk/
There are loads more blogs, social media accounts and books by autistic people but this is a starting point.
Good luck on your autistic discovery journey!
Yes please, that would be awesome :D
Thank you so much for welcoming me!! :D
Hi again.
I could give you some links to autistic led organisation that educate about autistic experience as this could help you understand your own experiences in more depth, but I am just conscious that I don’t want to give you too much information!
So just let me know if you would like that?! After all, we autistics are very good at info dumping!
Hi RizYou are more than welcome!
We are here for you (including me!) throughout your autistic discovery and beyond!
I am so glad I could help you in such a meaningful way!
If you want any other advice, reassurance, or an opportunity to share autistic lived experiences, please just ask the community or start a discussion if you feel comfortable doing so.
Thank you so much for the help! I feel like I struggle a lot more than the diagnosis was suggesting. I've only been diagnosed since the 30th Oct so I am learning lots of new things, and I appreciate your advice. :D
Hi, thank you so much for the help! I've only been diagnosed for a week, since the 30th Oct, so I am learning more than ever. Thank you so much for explaining in a understandable way! I appreciate it :D
Couldn't agree more! We are the experts on our own autistic experiences and needs!
Maybe, but it won't get closer faster if we don't kick up a stink about it. That's the main way that change happens after all.I'm actually going to mention it to the team at the second part of my son's assessment and ask them to put a note next to any official diagnosis so it get's passed up the line properly.
I think that tailored care from the NHS, or individualised consideration from employers, is some way off, if it ever materialises.
This is why I think we need to start a movement where we do away with being assigned levels and functioning labels by the assessor but keep the terminology and just let us autistic people say what support we feel we need instead, so if someone feels their levels vary they can say to their employers/carers "I haven't slept very well in days so I'm level 2 this week, here are a few things I could use more accomodations/help with" if that is helpful to them for example.
I find that I have to do mental gymnastics and write in very indirect language in order to describe differences that are entirely obvious and could be described relatively concisely. Terms only become abusive if people use them in a derogatory way. If functional labels were used purely to describe levels of functionality in society, I do not think that many people would object. There is obviously a functional difference between the extremes of a person capable of working full-time in a demanding job and a person who requires dedicated care in order to exist on a day to day basis.
Exactly!
Well the only person who really knows what it's like to be in our shoes is us individuals ourselves, so IMO self-advocacy is essential.
π Bees π (they/them) Autism resources in bio #stoptheshock #NothingAboutUsWithoutUs said:Don't take that "high functioning" to set unrealistic standards for yourself. Make sure you still ask for help or give yourself a break if you need it, because all it means to be assigned "high" or "low functioning" is as far as they (the shrinks) can tell you are autistic but do not also have a learning disability or low IQ and they suspect (guess) your support needs on average to be minimal, but it actually has very little to do with functioning in the reality of day to day life because they assess you based on how you act in a clinical environment
Hi Bees
Thanks for helping Riz to self-advocate!
Don't take that "high functioning" to set unrealistic standards for yourself. Make sure you still ask for help or give yourself a break if you need it, because all it means to be assigned "high" or "low functioning" is as far as they (the shrinks) can tell you are autistic but do not also have a learning disability or low IQ and they suspect (guess) your support needs on average to be minimal, but it actually has very little to do with functioning in the reality of day to day life because they assess you based on how you act in a clinical environment. Your real ability to function will alternate through phases depening on what is going on in your life, and unfortunately because they like to neatly boil things down to a label and not a description when they make a diagnosis that variable is not refelected adequately on a daft peice of paper.