What is Autism exactly?

There are a number of variables in the equation. My understanding is that LFA implies low intellectual ability (or IQ) and HFA means high intellectual ability.

As I understand it - you can have a mild form of Autism - if you score just enough points on whatever test you do to be classed as autistic. E.g. you understand a bit of banter but often miss the point of jokes, you have one or two friends, you can remain employed but keep getting into arguments at work, you have a chequered work history. You can get into relationships but it might not last. You were bullied at school but don't feel threatened or bullied much now.

Severe autism would then mean that you score very badly on a test so you score all  questions in the autistic manner. E.g. you are baffled by all facial expressions and things like sarcasm etc, you have NO friends, are unable to get a job or to keep one, you get into arguments in shops on a regular basis. You get bullied and harassed by neighbours or strangers perhaps because you don't know how to blend in and become anonymous.

Now there is a real complication to add to this. If you have a mild but manageable form of autism but then keep hitting "brick walls" in your social interactions and repeatedly have to start over on almost everything you do then you will get stressed and clinically depressed. You might easily convince yourself that life is hopeless, you end up with no friends and you talk yourself down with negative talk every day as the things that go wrong are more obvious to you than the things that go right. In some cases the resulting mental illness appears as bipolar disorder or other condition. In this state of mind you might appear to have a more severe, disabling form of autism than you really have.

In hindsight, I would say that I am mildly affected.

Before the diagnosis, I repeatedly got into bad social situations, I misunderstood people and they misunderstood me. i kept failing to spot what other people would do when I said things and did things. I got stressed and really depressed - I became completely unproductive at work and at home, I couldn't seem to do anything right and the world seemed to be against me. People kept asking me what was wrong because I looked miserable. In short, I recognise this as real clinical depression. It became a completely negative spiral and I was well on the road to being sacked.

Now that I have the diagnosis, and my work colleagues and bosses are beginning to understand what it means, I am able to get things done, give extra effort to thinking things over with extra care and trying to imagine things from the others' point of view. I still get it wrong and its a real struggle sometimes but it's like having the old 'me' back.

There are a number of variables in the equation. My understanding is that LFA implies low intellectual ability (or IQ) and HFA means high intellectual ability.

As I understand it - you can have a mild form of Autism - if you score just enough points on whatever test you do to be classed as autistic. E.g. you understand a bit of banter but often miss the point of jokes, you have one or two friends, you can remain employed but keep getting into arguments at work, you have a chequered work history. You can get into relationships but it might not last. You were bullied at school but don't feel threatened or bullied much now.

Severe autism would then mean that you score very badly on a test so you score all  questions in the autistic manner. E.g. you are baffled by all facial expressions and things like sarcasm etc, you have NO friends, are unable to get a job or to keep one, you get into arguments in shops on a regular basis. You get bullied and harassed by neighbours or strangers perhaps because you don't know how to blend in and become anonymous.

Now there is a real complication to add to this. If you have a mild but manageable form of autism but then keep hitting "brick walls" in your social interactions and repeatedly have to start over on almost everything you do then you will get stressed and clinically depressed. You might easily convince yourself that life is hopeless, you end up with no friends and you talk yourself down with negative talk every day as the things that go wrong are more obvious to you than the things that go right. In some cases the resulting mental illness appears as bipolar disorder or other condition. In this state of mind you might appear to have a more severe, disabling form of autism than you really have.

In hindsight, I would say that I am mildly affected.

Before the diagnosis, I repeatedly got into bad social situations, I misunderstood people and they misunderstood me. i kept failing to spot what other people would do when I said things and did things. I got stressed and really depressed - I became completely unproductive at work and at home, I couldn't seem to do anything right and the world seemed to be against me. People kept asking me what was wrong because I looked miserable. In short, I recognise this as real clinical depression. It became a completely negative spiral and I was well on the road to being sacked.

Now that I have the diagnosis, and my work colleagues and bosses are beginning to understand what it means, I am able to get things done, give extra effort to thinking things over with extra care and trying to imagine things from the others' point of view. I still get it wrong and its a real struggle sometimes but it's like having the old 'me' back.