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What are your thoughts on the term "High Functioning"?

Jalapeno

I've noticed quite a few autistic people on this forum describing themselves as "high functioning." I'm genuinely interested in hearing why people choose to use this label.

Personally, I dislike it and would prefer not to see it being used.

From the outside, based on my qualifications and career, many people would probably describe me as "high functioning." Yet I still struggle with many aspects of daily life and work, and I worry the label makes those difficulties seem less significant or suggests I need little support or reasonable adjustments, which isn't the case.

I'm also not convinced that the Levels 1, 2 and 3 always solve the problem, as our support needs can vary enormously depending on the environment we're in.

I also wonder whether some people use "high functioning" simply to mean they don't have a learning disability. If so, wouldn't it be clearer just to say that?

For those who do use the term, what benefit do you feel it provides—for yourself or when explaining your autism to other people? I'm genuinely interested in hearing different perspectives.

NAS - any thoughts on running a poll on this ?

Parents

  • There is an obvious difference between an autistic person capable of functioning effectively in society for most of the time and an autistic person who has no ability whatsoever to live an independent life. This is just a fact, not an opinion. It is human nature to look for short and simple terms or phrases to encapsulate this difference. However, any word or phrase trying to do this will fail in some manner, some of the time, for some people. This is an inevitability. The upshot of this is that I understand why the phrase 'high functioning' is used and accept that it is a flawed shortcut towards describing something that is real. I tend not to use it, because of its limitations and inbuilt inaccuracy, but I also do not condemn people who do.

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  • There is an obvious difference between an autistic person capable of functioning effectively in society for most of the time and an autistic person who has no ability whatsoever to live an independent life. This is just a fact, not an opinion. It is human nature to look for short and simple terms or phrases to encapsulate this difference. However, any word or phrase trying to do this will fail in some manner, some of the time, for some people. This is an inevitability. The upshot of this is that I understand why the phrase 'high functioning' is used and accept that it is a flawed shortcut towards describing something that is real. I tend not to use it, because of its limitations and inbuilt inaccuracy, but I also do not condemn people who do.

Children
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