Published on 12, July, 2020
Is What does this actally mean in practice, not the dictionary definition, but for those of us so labelled? Although no ones ever told me I'm high functioning, I guess I am.
Is it a helpful term or unhelpful?
Does it express our experiences properly or reflect away from them?
Is this a term more helpful to NT's than us?
Personally I find the term a bit insulting as well as divisive and dismissive.
I find it useful.
It is meant in the context of other autistic people and I have no doubt that I am 'high' functioning compared to those with high support needs.
However, I think perhaps 'better' might be more appropriate.
It's not meant to mean that we are high functioning in the context of allistic society, or at least that is my understanding.
When we have discussions on here I find it very difficult to differentiate myself verbally from those autistic people who might not even be able to use this forum - I think that those others are sometimes overlooked.
This term helps me make that distinction.
I understand though about the spectrum and spiky profile.
Very well said.