Low functioning/High functioning - Is it legit

[Celestiune]

I've heard the phrases 'low functioning' and 'high functioning before, from what I've understand its the differentiation between autistic people who can function well and those who can't. But I've seen people argue the legitimacy of these labels, and I wonder, what are your guy's opinion?

 

[Flammie91]

There are a lot of different variables that could influence how one is perceived as low or high functioning, executive functioning, social skills, coordination, general intelligence, comorbidity with various mental disorders, its not always easy to distinguish, with people on the autism spectrum it is possible to excel in certain areas like spacial intelligence but be poor in others, like verbal, I believe it has some legitimacy as some on the spectrum are able to maintain employment and relationships with relative ease while others (like myself) aren't so much, although people do comment that I appear nt, appearances can be deceiving, these people tend to only know me superficially and are only glancing at the surface in that moment. Also functioning can vary greatly within an individual depending on their mental state, like if theyre under a lot of stress, or there is comorbidity present. So Id say yes, but its complicated.

 

[Bolletje]

I don't think "legit" is the term I would use, but yes, people on the spectrum show a wide range of functioning.

Some are able to live without support, capable of sustaining relationships, having a job and taking care of their personal finances.

Some have none of that. And some people are able to function in a few of those domains, but not in the other.

Functioning can be fluid, though. When depressed, I don't function on my own and need help with finances and executive functioning. When I'm in my "good" mindset I function just fine on my own.

 

[the_tortoise]

I would prefer people just talk about functioning in terms of support needs and abilities -- that makes more sense to me, seems a lot more meaningful/useful and accurate than having two (or even three) categories with fuzzy boundaries that are meant to apply to every aspect of a person's functioning, in every area of their life, in all possible contexts/at all times.

 

[OrSomething]

I think the spectrum is too complicated to be sorted into neat categories. I understand what high-functioning is meant to convey: someone who has average to above-average intelligence and verbal skills. But even that is not straightforward. What about someone who is only sometimes verbal? Or someone who has normal intelligence in some areas but not in others? My other problem with functioning labels is that I feel they can be used to "look down on" those deemed low-functioning and separate them from the "high-functioning".

 

[Progster]

I think that it's impossible for anyone to say what the difference between high and low functioning autism might be. These labels are imposed from outside, by mainly by people who don't have autism and don't have to live the reality of it - they make judgements based on our outward behaviour, but they don't experience it for themselves and don't know what it's like to be us. Equally, I consider myself to be high functioning, but I can't really say how it might be different to be low functioning, because I don't experience many other the sensory integration or verbal communication issues they have. I only know what it's like to be me, not what it's like to be someone else.

 

[Crossbreed]

My findings suggest that Asperger's/HFA is the base condition. LFA is Asperger's with pronounced complications, though not necessarily cognitive deficits. The latter is considered to be possibly due to a post-natal CNS injury (on top of Asperger's/HFA).

 

[pjcnet]

People most likely moan about some being called low functioning, but sadly my now adult brothers most certainly come under that label, they will never be-able to use a forum like this since they can't read/write, add 2+2, count to 5, tell the time, their language is impaired Etc. and they will need constant care for the rest of their lives or they would literally die. They are most definitely autistic too as they have all the traits and have done since childhood. People here however like myself are high functioning if they're able enough to understand and write on this forum.

 

[Sid Delicious]

My understanding was that it referred to high or low IQ. Someone with autism, but a higher than average IQ will have more chance of being able to hide or finding coping mechanisms for the things their brain cannot do.

 

[Flammie91]

My understanding was that it referred to high or low IQ. Someone with autism, but a higher than average IQ will have more chance of being able to hide or finding coping mechanisms for the things their brain cannot do.

Ive read in some articles that high functioning individuals outcomes with regards to employment and stuff is actually no better than for lower functioning. They should be better off in theory, but it might be cause lower functioning individuals get more recognition and supports.

 

[Beguiling Orbit]

It's a bunch of baloney. I know plenty of NTs who are low functioning, yet they usually don't get saddled with labels.

 

[OkRad]

There are very strict medical definitions. If you are "High Functioning" with Asperger's and you are not functioning well, you are still not low functioing.

LFA is a set of behaviours that are observable. I hate to say Rain Man, but that is what they are looking for, fair or not.

HFA and not funtionging would indicate co-morbid states, like depression, etc.

A LFA autisic may function way better than a HFA depresseed Aspie. In fact, I used to work in a field where there were HFA nad LFA and I was like, "OMG, the LFA are doing WAYYYY better than I am!"

They had tons of support, no depression, were in their own little worlds, allowed to stim and engage in their obsessions freely while I was forced to do all this SH**** like smile, pretend not to be thinking of my special interest, not stimming etc.

So you can be LFA and functioning very well, but just not as NT's function. That is the key. They (NT's) call it LFA, but to me, it's BOOOM. Good on ya!

It can be stimming a lot, repreating words, "odd walking" not making eye contact, all the things that frighten NT's soooooo much.

HFA do not frighten NT's, we seem to p*** them off. We smile (YAY) but at the wrong time. We talk (YAY) but don't make eye contact. We are close enough to NT that they are like, "WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM?" whereas LFA is indisputably NOT NT.

FOr me, Not talking was one of the keys. WHen I was young I did not in public and if I had kept THAT ONE TRAIT, I would have been considered LFA. I had way enough other ways.

But I was forced to talk and that complicated the whole thing. Then I had to learn to smile, and had to learnt to socailize, then it was downhill from there.

For many years, my New Years Resolution is to stop talking but I can't now. Family dynamics were set early, around my talking.

My only hope is when I get dementia, I can stop talking again. That happened to my ASpie unlce who HATED TO TALK, too. Rest his dear soul.

 

[the_tortoise]

There are very strict medical definitions.

Please point me to these definitions, as I was unaware of their existance (in fact I have been under the impression that there were no agreed upon medical definitions beyond IQ score) and am very curious to know what they are.

 

[OkRad]

Please point me to these definitions, as I was unaware of their existance (in fact I have been under the impression that there were no agreed upon medical definitions beyond IQ score) and am very curious to know what they are.

This is just based on the "expert" I went to, so I would believe you more than him because he was a tremendous A********

He said what "They" look for is stimming, movements like tics, he mentioned swirling fingers in the air, and not making eye contact.

Based on those things, no, no I know has it exepct a few people. Based on what he said, no Aspie I know would have Aspergers.

He was looking for a specific kind of observable behaviour. I know what he meant and probably you do, too, but he made no sense to me whatsoever and I am not sure why he was restricting ASD to handflapping and no eye contact and repeating words. To this day, I have no idea, so my orignal post is probably all wrong.........and I am glad it is.

 

[Ambi]

Here's an example: Temple Grandin was considered low functioning as a small child, to the point that the doctor said she needed to be institutionalized. She would not interact with people, she even smeared feces on the wall (one account I read). With years of intensive SLP therapy, she became more communicative, but still struggled navigating the social world and school - but she is very successful in her career and her innovations will be her legacy. So now she'd be considered high-functioning. Yet, though her social communication is vastly improved - she can navigate social situations, give talks, have conversations, she still misses a lot of humor, feels no need for friends - some might consider that low functioning socially.

 

[Myway]

High functioning and low functioning mean nothing to me. I ignore that completely. NT's can be high functioning or low functioning, but I have yet to see them put it that way. NT's are interesting to study though.

 

[OkRad]

This thread epitomoizes how much NTs run the Autism world. They define ASD, the confuse ASD, they don't understand ASD and when someone on the Spectrum is in their presence, we are twice as confused as we were before.

It's the only difference where we still are not even allowed to understand our difference.

THis is exactly what straight people did to gay people not that long ago. NO YOU ARE NOT GAY! You are straight! You are straight because I am straight and I will MAKE YOU STRAIGHT!"

Gay people suffered unimaginable things because of intolerance.

I feel like we are in a similar boat. One Dr says you are ASD. ANother says NO. Another says YES, but we can FIX you. Another says Yes, but you don't need fixing SOme of us have gotten beaten up for our difference. Some of us have been mocked and used.

But to obfuscate OUR OWN DIFFERENCE so that half of us here are totally confused as to the language they (NTs) are using makes me want to PUKE.

Let them deal with thier own kind.

I want my fellow ASDs to Dx me. NEVER AN NT.

 

[the_tortoise]

This is just based on the "expert" I went to, so I would believe you more than him because he was a tremendous A********

He said what "They" look for is stimming, movements like tics, he mentioned swirling fingers in the air, and not making eye contact.

Based on those things, no, no I know has it exepct a few people. Based on what he said, no Aspie I know would have Aspergers.

He was looking for a specific kind of observable behaviour. I know what he meant and probably you do, too, but he made no sense to me whatsoever and I am not sure why he was restricting ASD to handflapping and no eye contact and repeating words. To this day, I have no idea, so my orignal post is probably all wrong.........and I am glad it is.

Oh, okay. I have never heard of their being any official definitions beyond the IQ one. And I have heard of clinicians disagreeing with each other about the definitions they use.

I don't know what he meant but I can create a mental picture/film of someone flapping their hands and not looking at people while saying a word or phrase over and over again.

 

[Furelise]

No one has ever told me if I’m supposed to be considered high or low functioning. My IQ is below average in some things and average in others. I talked at the age of one, so I have atypical autism, not classic autism. But sometimes my communication is so disordered that I get upset that no one is understanding me and I self harm, like biting myself or hitting my head. I do know that I am definitely not low functioning by most standards. When I was younger maybe, but not now.

 

[Flammie91]

Ive never been told explicitly that Im low or high functioning, the doc just declared me autistic, this was a year after aspergers was removed in the DSM5. I was tested as a toddler, so signs were present early on, and many of my teachers throughout my school years suspected I had it.