• Replies 12 replies
  • Subscribers 79 subscribers
  • Views 2494 views
  • Users 0 members are here
Options
Related
Hints and tips
  • To quote someone's message, first select/highlight the relevant text, and then use the Quote button that appears
  • To "mention" someone, type @ followed by the start of the forum name, and choose from the list; that person will get a notification of being mentioned

Please GET RID of functioning labels!!!

Hope

Okay, I need to rant. Today I felt CryYell after an ignorant Neurotypical told me that I am 'really high-functioning'. This person, athough not an expert, does work with people who have autism. She does not know me that well, so what does she mean by this? I look, for want of a better word, normal, very normal in fact. There are no outward signs of disability; I have a University degree, I am eloquent and can speak clearly, and do not exhibit any concerning behaviour when I am out in public (note - if I am highly stressed, I can put myself in danger, but most of the time I do not display any strange behaviour). Yes my traits not immediately obvious, but my life is severely impacted by my traits: I cannot organise my life without parental support; I have OCD;dyscalculia; anxiety. Now, on there own, these traits might not be that significant, but when combined, they prevent me from working and living a full and varied life - is there anything high-functioning about this?!!! This label trivialises my difficulties and is incredibly patronising. Has anyone else here experienced  anguish upon hearing this term? Has anyone else been described as 'high-functioning', while disagreeing that the term applies to them? And is not 'low functioning' equally problematic?

 

Parents

  • Hi Karajan.

    Aspergian, is that a new birth sign? LOL!

    I'm with you all the way, a person is AS or they aren't. I get quite aggressive when such terms are used, because it causes the same reaction in me as it does in you. I don't like the inferences, I prefer to believe that we are all in it together.

    I'm type 1 ASD because I'm an AS person who loosely fits the critieria for type 1. This is, for me, less about 'functionality' and more about describing the disfunctionality attached to the levels of difficulty we have in dealing with AS whilst trying to share the NT world with them - the lunatics are running the asylum, and for sure, an ignorant NT will always find a way to make things worse (stipulating that there are times when, for us, no-one can do right for doing wrong!) and then blame us for being made worse - chicken and egg...

    And, anybody who can write like you do is far from dumb. I know exactly what you mean though...

Reply

  • Hi Karajan.

    Aspergian, is that a new birth sign? LOL!

    I'm with you all the way, a person is AS or they aren't. I get quite aggressive when such terms are used, because it causes the same reaction in me as it does in you. I don't like the inferences, I prefer to believe that we are all in it together.

    I'm type 1 ASD because I'm an AS person who loosely fits the critieria for type 1. This is, for me, less about 'functionality' and more about describing the disfunctionality attached to the levels of difficulty we have in dealing with AS whilst trying to share the NT world with them - the lunatics are running the asylum, and for sure, an ignorant NT will always find a way to make things worse (stipulating that there are times when, for us, no-one can do right for doing wrong!) and then blame us for being made worse - chicken and egg...

    And, anybody who can write like you do is far from dumb. I know exactly what you mean though...

Children
No Data