By the time I was diagnosed the terms "high functioning and low functioning were replaced with levels of support, 1,2 or 3.
HIgh functioning used to mean if you could speak at age three or not. A more colloquial definition turned into activities of daily living: cook, clean self and environment, work, socialize enough to get these things done, etc.
Currently the severity index refers specifically to the criterion for ASD. There is a spectrum of severity for each criteria in the diagnosis, therefore functioning is fluid and idiosyncratic....if you see one person with autism, you see one person with autism. Although I was diagnosed at Level 1, I easily have characteristics of Level 2. Some evaluators will err on the side of least severe when diagnosing if they are riding the fence between the levels. I have met people who perform their jobs with great aptitude and rise to high levels in a company, yet have severe interpersonal social deficits and are terribly lonely despite accolades at work. I found the following information helpful, I hope you do to.
Levels of autism: Symptoms and criteria
I thought this website gave a succinct and accurate explanation…The
DSM-5 states that there are three levels of autism:
Level 1: Requiring support
Share on PinterestA person with level 1 autism may have difficulties in social situations.
Level 1 is the least severe autism diagnosis. People in this category have social difficulties that require some support.
They can find it difficult to initiate conversations with others and may respond inappropriately or lose interest quickly. As a result, it can be challenging for them to make friends, especially without the right support.
People with level 1 autism may also show inflexible behaviors. It can be difficult for them to cope with changing situations or contexts, such as new environments. They may need help with organization and planning.
Level 2: Requiring substantial support
People in this category need more support than those with a level 1 diagnosis. They have more severe social deficits that make holding a conversation very challenging.
Even with support, they may struggle to communicate coherently and are more likely to respond inappropriately to others. They may speak in short sentences or only discuss very specific topics.
These individuals may also have issues with nonverbal communication and might display behaviors such as facing away from the person with whom they are communicating.
People with a level 2 diagnosis may also have inflexible behaviors that can interfere with daily functioning. They typically do not cope very well with changes, which can cause them significant distress.
Level 3: Requiring very substantial support
Level 3 is the most severe autism diagnosis. People with a level 3 diagnosis have significant impairments in their verbal and nonverbal communication.
They will often avoid interactions with others, but they may interact in a limited way if they must respond to others or communicate a need.
Their behaviors are highly inflexible and repetitive. They may react strongly to changes and become highly distressed in a situation that requires them to alter their focus or task.
Or If I stand up for the rights of autistic people, I'm only doing that because I'm "high functioning" and I'm not being fair to the parents of kids who are "low-functioning" or have "classic" autism, and when ask for advice about how to reply to that, people's answers just confuse me even more.
