Published on 12, July, 2020
Diuscssion on a Facebook group:
According to someone, if you're high functioning, you're mild and the terms high functioning (which according a friend who is a GP, means you have speech and the low functioning person doesn't) and low functioning are offensive. She then said she uses mild Autism to describe those of us who are high functioning.
I do find the term "mild Autism" inaccurate and offensive. I may be high functioning, but am certainly not mild. Then there's the low functioning person who in some situations, may be able to cope better than the high functioning person and vice versa.
I have a feeling the same person who said this, also once said that Autism is just a personality difference. I beg to differ.
I was always lead to believe that if you're classed as mild, (any medical condition) you have very few problems / it doesn't require any medical intervention.
I agree. I hate the term 'mild'; everyone has their own challenges unique to them, and by using the term 'mild' it somehow trivialises the problems faced. Some people do have more support needs in certain areas, and I think the terms low functioning and high functioning are here to stay, but 'mild' does not really mean anything.