Published on 12, July, 2020
'High functioning' is a term commonly used to describe people diagnosed with autism without an intellectual disability.However, despite the term's prevalence in medical journals and everyday use, new research shows the term can be misleading and advocates have called for its use to be dropped.Post-doctoral researcher Dr Gail Alvares said while 'high functioning' is used to describe people diagnosed with autism who have IQs in the normal range, it does not indicate their functional status.A new study has found labelling children with autism 'high functioning' can be misleading.
However, despite the term's prevalence in medical journals and everyday use, new research shows the term can be misleading and advocates have called for its use to be dropped.
Post-doctoral researcher Dr Gail Alvares said while 'high functioning' is used to describe people diagnosed with autism who have IQs in the normal range, it does not indicate their functional status.A new study has found labelling children with autism 'high functioning' can be misleading.
www.brisbanetimes.com.au/.../new-research-shows-high-functioning-is-an-inaccurate-autism-label-20190619-p51z9t.html
The gap between expected adaptive functioning due to IQ and actual level of adaptive functioning can be quite large.
In ICD-11 we have the following categories of ASD:
6A02.0 Autism spectrum disorder without disorder of intellectual development and with mild or no impairment of functional language
6A02.1 Autism spectrum disorder with disorder of intellectual development and with mild or no impairment of functional language
6A02.2 Autism spectrum disorder without disorder of intellectual development and with impaired functional language
6A02.3 Autism spectrum disorder with disorder of intellectual development and with impaired functional language
6A02.4 Autism spectrum disorder without disorder of intellectual development and with absence of functional language
6A02.5 Autism spectrum disorder with disorder of intellectual development and with absence of functional language
6A02.Y Other specified autism spectrum disorder
6A02.Z Autism spectrum disorder, unspecified
For 6A02.0, 6A02.2, 6A02.4 intellectual functioning and adaptive behaviour are found to be at least within the average range - approximately greater than the 2.3rd percentile.
Arran said:For 6A02.0, 6A02.2, 6A02.4 intellectual functioning and adaptive behaviour are found to be at least within the average range - approximately greater than the 2.3rd percentile.
In no way is an IQ of 71 within normal range . Then there are those of us with diagnosed learning difficulty , or if you're like me , in school at a time when being of average or above intelligence meant your difficulties were ignored, its probable though undiagnosed .