Why do so many people hate functioning labels?

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And this is the opposite for me. I am considered extremely high functioning but I often have to ask people to explain things to me as if they were being explained to a child or I cannot understand them. I also have severe sensory issues, in fact my sensory issues are a lot more severe than some of the "lower functioning" Autistics that I I know. I also have times when I am completely non verbal, I have times when I cannot figure out how to do simple things like eat. During those times I just have to go without and starve until my brain resets even if it is for a few days. Because I am labelled "high functioning" no one is willing to help me when my brain stops working and I cannot function. That can happen pretty often. There are times when I cannot even figure out how to move my arms and legs at all. But no one is ever willing to help me and very few people are willing to even believe me because I am labelled high functioning because there are times when I can function very highly. I know some "low functioning" people who have done very well in school and who work very good jobs. I was never able to finish school and I cannot hold a job because my sensory issues are too severe and other areas of my Autism are too low functioning. So this is why these labels can really hurt people. I am always expected to be just another nt with a few quirks. But people do not realize that often times I can be extremely low functioning in many areas and sometimes I am not able to function at all.

I don't think "low-functioning" people should be treated like small children either.

quite frankly, i do not claim to represent "many people". just one.

however, maybe, it could be, that, like, "high functioning" and "low functioning" sound way too vague. and they are easy to misinterpret. when used correctly, the "functioning" labels could be useful. but maybe it's just too difficult to use properly. especially for speakers that act like they know everything about autism, but know much less than that.

for example, in a previous lesson, someone had the nerve to tell me that "my neighbor's five year old son is autistic. he goes to a special school. i don't think you're autistic.".

the speaker only knew one (or, at most, several, autistics - that disclosed). and b/c, his impression of the five year old did not match his impression of me, he just concluded that i was not autistic). he had no authority to give out misdiagnoses.

when i was at college, (ucsd, undergrad, 2003). the school only took accommodations specified by certain professionals. it had to be a psychologist with a specialization in learning disorders. it could not be a psychologist that worked at ucsd. it could not be a psychologist that worked at Kaiser.

jumping through hoops.

and it could not be someone, that did not even have a phd in psychology. or any other subject.

the current counselor told me that she has a legal right to diagnose clinical depression and anxiety. she does not have the authority, legally to even diagnose autism. she has a Masters in Psychology.