Published on 12, July, 2020
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?
I'm reading this thread with interest as today I've felt a bit like a fraud. A fraud as NT and a fraud as AS. I met a friend I haven't seen for a long time and...it went ok. I feel like I passed but I also feel like I'm not autistic. I keep questioning my diagnosis. On days like today I don't feel "autistic enough" to be telling my friend I'm on the spectrum, (altho I did). Its when words like "Aspergers", are used although it's on my report, I feel like it gets brushed aside a bit "oh you're ok, it's only Aspergers it's not full blown autism" (this was not said btw). I feel a bit uncomfortable sometimes because I do not have the difficulties for instance, that another friend's son has who goes to an SEN school. I suppose I feel like I don't deserve a badge of autism. I know on a different day I will be saying the opposite and that I feel it's as clear as day that I'm on the spectrum. Possibly it's been more EF difficulties this week as opposed to social.
I don't know how helpful high or low functioning is. But I know there are a lot of other people on the spectrum who need more support than I do. I think it's useful when allocating support on a needs basis.
u arent a fraud ----- you cross the functional boundaries between NT and Autism thats all. Some days you function well and some you dont.
other autistic people have level 2 and level 3 support needs and yes you are more fortunate than them.
I am level 1.5 because some days I am low ( 2.0 ) some days i am fine ( 1.0 ) so i consider myself to be between.
You may be the same.
EF = Executive Function (my big weakness )
Yes and to the outside I probably come across as 1+. (If 0 is the boundary and AS is minus). I think this is a type of masking, it doesn't just have to be about the social. But that's a story for another day.