New research shows 'high functioning' is an inaccurate autism label

Trainspotter said:

  And it does not accurately describe intelligence,

How would you accurately describe intelligence ?

"It does not accurately describe intelligence" Totally agreed.

My stepdaughter knows how  I do far better than any professional  I've ever seen.  She was instrumental in my getting the help I get now  .

The terms high and low functioning are quite misleading.  In no way do they describe abilities someone may have.

What they tend to do is disguise needs and abilities.  Someone described as 'low functioning' may have any abilities they have ignored or not recognised.  Someone described as 'high functioning' may have any needs unrecognised.  And it does not accurately describe intelligence, as someone 'high functioning' may have an IQ (that mysterious quality defined by scores in an IQ test) well below the supposed norm of 100.

And I am in awe of some of the skills some so called 'low functioning' autistic people have.

I agree with you guys.

Given that the main diagnostic 'points' on the 'star' as per the image above are:

1. Persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction across multiple contexts
2. Restricted, repetitive patterns of behaviour, interests, or activities
3. Symptoms must be present in the early developmental period (but may not become fully manifest until social demands exceed limited capacities, or may be masked by learned strategies in later life)
4. Symptoms cause clinically significant impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of current functioning
5. These disturbances are not better explained by something else (I'm paraphrasing)

You could be considered fully 'functional' until you hit the bit in point 3 that I've put in bold and it may be that you only hit that 'tipping point' due to the loss of support e.g. a relative or other carer becoming unavailable, or through either sudden or gradual accumulation of the 'demand load' resulting in it exceeding the limit - seems to me this is the 'classic' trigger for late diagnosis 'aspies'...

"I thought I was doing OK, then <thing> happened and my life fell apart... oh, I'm autistic you say? That would explain it..."

Plus I'm not convinced 'impairment' and 'functionality' are interchangeable - if I have cataracts I have 'functional eyes' but 'impaired vision' does this mean I'm 'visually low-functioning'?

Bleurgh!

Point 2 is more relevant than point 1. Degrees of support seen as being needed would need to factor in functioning , whether functioning was implicitly stated or not.  The lower  one can function the greater the level of support that would be needed , with there being a range of ability to function across various domains .

The premise of this thread is kind of irrelevant for 2 reasons:

1. DSM-5 doesn't mention 'functioning' just severity of each diagnostic criteria i.e. requires; support, substantial support, very substantial support plus whether there are any associated; intellectual impairment, language impairment; medical or genetic condition or environmental factor, other neurodevelopmental, mental, or behavioural disorder, catatonia

2. High/low-functioning as a label has long been deemed 'divisive' and inappropriate by the ASD community, particularly as autism is a non-linear, spectrum disorder i.e. you can be 'high' in some areas and 'low' in others with everyone having a different 'profile'

This...

Not this...

See Functioning labels and why you shouldn't be using them by Autistic Advocate

My problem is that in short interactions with people where verbal skills are to the fore I come across as very intelligent. That would get me a label of 'high functioning' in many people's eyes. However in situations requiring more non-verbal/spatial/practical intelligence I do far less well.

The thing is most people don't see me in the latter situation , and if they do can think I'm being lazy,passive aggressive etc.
That includes many mental health professionals .

I have tried to do many IQ tests online, Not one have I completed fully.

i am like a fish trying to climb a tree.

I wonder if there is a specifically tailored IQ for me.

 Meaning Dyslexia and short term memory deficit?

I may just be barking up the wrong tree? Fish style of coarse.

. woof woof 

See also  www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/.../31215791

sci-hub.tw/.../31215791

http://blog.hrs-mat.com/measuring-iq-in-autism-with-adaptive-testing 

For those with challenges or deficits in verbal abilities . I'm the opposite and scored-

IQ measured by using NT-standard testing methods?