Please GET RID of functioning labels!!!

High functioning, along with mild autism and other epithets, assume that autism is on a continuously and uniformly grading 'spectrum'.

So if you seem to be coping well you cannot have anything wrong with you.

But autism is not a standard persona, even if you can read about yourself in books - people have different degrees of problems with different aspects. The very nature of the diagnoses is having SOME of the traits.

Two aspects seem common to all, wherever they are on the 'spectrum' (and OK this is my theory not one evidently held by NAS): sensory issues and poor social interfacing.

Even quite conspicuously able individuals have sensory issues, and have trouble fitting in socially. Trouble is, these are only marginally represented in the Triad of Impairments - because from a diagnostic perspective they can be confused with other conditions. It is not a reason for ignoring them.

I also think there are a lot of people out there failing to get a diagnosis despite having real sensory problems, and real difficulties socialising.

With social interaction the manifestations are interdependent and determined by both not reading and not generating good non-verbal communication. But apparently you need two of 'impaired non-verbal', 'failure to develop peer relations' , 'lack of spontaneous seeking to share enjoyment etc'  and lack of social and emotional reciprocity' (DSMV IV).

How do they measure these accurately? How does someone determoine you are not making good eye contact when looking at people's mouths looks as if? Facial expression gets stiffer and less informative as they get older but it doesn't overturn non-verbal communication. Many people on the spectrum want to make friends, but cannot - is that the same as lack of sponteneity.

Does everyone with autism really have a mind block understanding "it is raining cats and dogs"? Many people may have to give more thought to it than an NT but the issue is with more subtle metaphors and double-meanings and not noticing give away facial expressions.

All aspects of autism diagnosis are qualitative, observed measures. So how can you have a category called "high functioning". It cannot be measured on a dial. It is a judgement of a number of qualitative parameters.

Mostly by people who don't seem to have much understanding of autism......

High functioning, along with mild autism and other epithets, assume that autism is on a continuously and uniformly grading 'spectrum'.

So if you seem to be coping well you cannot have anything wrong with you.

But autism is not a standard persona, even if you can read about yourself in books - people have different degrees of problems with different aspects. The very nature of the diagnoses is having SOME of the traits.

Two aspects seem common to all, wherever they are on the 'spectrum' (and OK this is my theory not one evidently held by NAS): sensory issues and poor social interfacing.

Even quite conspicuously able individuals have sensory issues, and have trouble fitting in socially. Trouble is, these are only marginally represented in the Triad of Impairments - because from a diagnostic perspective they can be confused with other conditions. It is not a reason for ignoring them.

I also think there are a lot of people out there failing to get a diagnosis despite having real sensory problems, and real difficulties socialising.

With social interaction the manifestations are interdependent and determined by both not reading and not generating good non-verbal communication. But apparently you need two of 'impaired non-verbal', 'failure to develop peer relations' , 'lack of spontaneous seeking to share enjoyment etc'  and lack of social and emotional reciprocity' (DSMV IV).

How do they measure these accurately? How does someone determoine you are not making good eye contact when looking at people's mouths looks as if? Facial expression gets stiffer and less informative as they get older but it doesn't overturn non-verbal communication. Many people on the spectrum want to make friends, but cannot - is that the same as lack of sponteneity.

Does everyone with autism really have a mind block understanding "it is raining cats and dogs"? Many people may have to give more thought to it than an NT but the issue is with more subtle metaphors and double-meanings and not noticing give away facial expressions.

All aspects of autism diagnosis are qualitative, observed measures. So how can you have a category called "high functioning". It cannot be measured on a dial. It is a judgement of a number of qualitative parameters.

Mostly by people who don't seem to have much understanding of autism......