Do You Think High and Low-functioning Should Be Used?

I prefer to use autism or ASD because I believe high and low-functioning autism creates a false perception of The Autism Spectrum. To me and I imagine many others, low-functioning and high-functioning create the image of a horizontal line with one side saying "most autistic" and the other side saying "least autistic", especially since I hear people say "end of the spectrum." 

I see The Autism Spectrum as more of a circle divided with each section representing a difficulty, with the individual in the centre having a variation of difficulties with differing levels of severity to one another. Like someone described as low-functioning may be able to walk through shops with no oversensitivity while someone described as high-functioning can have a higher level of severity in sensory processing that it's too hard and not be able to.

Do you think we should avoid the use of high and low-functioning as they're not clinical terms anyway?

Parents
  • i think using the general discription 'autism' is right, my son has a learning disability also, so i say hes autistic and has dyslexia, for me autism is him and the dyslexia is his struggle. same would be for someone who is non verbal, adhd etc

  • That taps into the old discussion, "Do you prefer 'person with autism' or 'autistic person'?". Apparently, the first concentrates on the person and the second concentrates on the autism. Personally I have no preference but some people get very heated about it. 

Reply
  • That taps into the old discussion, "Do you prefer 'person with autism' or 'autistic person'?". Apparently, the first concentrates on the person and the second concentrates on the autism. Personally I have no preference but some people get very heated about it. 

Children
  • iv no preference either, it dont bother me if others use high and low functioning to be honest. autism is hard to describe, especially to others that have no knowledge of it, some people dont even understand the description 'neurological condition', most are just trying to find a quick easy description i think.