In today’s video I’m discussing autism and functioning labels. Functioning labels are often used to describe autistic people. Terms like low functioning and high functioning. They are used to describe an autistic persons level of need.
I’m sharing my thoughts on the use of functioning labels. How it feels to be described as high functioning. The challenges of using these terms. As well as some suggestions for alternative ways to understand our needs without using these labels.
In this blog post I talk about the language used to describe autistic people.
I had a 67 IQ point spread on the battery of tests from which I got my diagnosis of plain autism. I did my PhD in applied math and physics, but I can’t make do in the employment market. I can’t get along with prevailing NT culture: everything from its pop music, sports, diet. I did not qualify for the classier diagnosis because I was non-verbal till the age of 5 but the Asperger classification is no linger in the DSM, not that I lose sleep over such classifications.
Excellent point. You may hold a job, but you struggle to get through a day and feel highly stressed from the demands of your job, even though you have routine.