what is your functioning level in your opinion?

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Well, to those narrow-minded Aspies who think 99% of the population are NTs then obviously there will be NTs that struggle finding a job, partner or own home, if they have non-autism disabilities like intellectual disabilities, downs syndrome or Fragile-X, etc etc. But to those more open-minded Aspies like myself and many others here, who believe that there are other brain dysfunctions/disabilities/disorders/neurodiversity (whatever you like to call it) that makes them sit outside the NT range and brings them challenges compared to their NT peers, then... well it answers itself.

1) What would you say is your functioning level? how does it differentiate from the functioning level in which they classificate you?
Moderate-functioning, counter to the high-functioning diagnosis I received in elementary.
2) What are your biggest challenges in your opinion?
Executive functioning, job-hunting, mental stamina, task shifting, narrow focus/concentration, emotional regulation, stress/anxiety
3) What are some of the things you are good at?
Self-reflection, photo retouching, hiking, extreme focus, common courtesy

If you complete a College degree and unable to secure employment, you are regarded as low functioning by society.
I regard functioning level is determined by the ability you can communicate/interact with others and maintain employment.
If you hold a low paying or middle income job I would regard as medium functioning.
You possess a high level education and hold a high paying job or successful business I would regard as high functioning.

Depends on the day

I don't think functioning levels are just to do with what job you have.

I think functioning is all about how many abilities and life skills one has that can make the person appear independent in society with little to no support. Like everything, functioning levels are not black and white and so do have grey areas, but functioning levels still do exist.

Anyway, there are always threads here convincing each other that there is no such thing as mild or severe or whatever, then in other subjects we subconsciously admit that there IS such a thing as mild, moderate and severe within the spectrum.

RE: High functioning relative to mild or moderate.

From the outside people look at me and say: she's normal and on the inside I am a complete mess.
From the outside people look at my BFF and say: she's odd and on the inside she's content.

I was just diagnosed "mild to moderate ASD". I agree, especially with the "moderate" in this stage of my life. I am married, have children and a high-paying job. However, my anxiety is through the roof to do so. My ASD-like BFF is single, does not have children, has a medium-paying job. She is calm and content.

By some of the standards written above I am higher functioning than her, but I beg to differ. I may even be less functioning than her (we suspect so). At least she knew she couldn't handle kids or a high-demand job; I am the type who doesn't know when I am stressed (loud music, bright lights? I'm fine. I'm fine. I'm fine. OMG I AM NOT FINE!! !! !! Watching my children by myself for two hours; I've got this! OMG I DO NOT "GOT" THIS!! !! !) and I am near constantly in overload. My parents pushed me and I "performed" but cried all the time. Her parents sheltered her and she was comfortable.

In some ways I am living beyond my means.

So is high-functioning managing well (my BFF, albeit she lives "small")? or is high-functioning doing more (me, albeit I live in constant distress)? Are is high-functioning doing more and managing well (neither of us)?

^^^

You have an ASD so you are going to struggle with something. But you are still high-functioning if you managed to get married and have children. A lower-functioning autistic, who may be a savant with drawing, may never be able to find a partner, marry and have children of their own.

I'm high-functioning, but that doesn't mean I don't have some difficulties.


There's a Youtube channel I sometimes watch, which is of a young man with autism. He cannot do anything for himself, he needs 24-hour care by his parents, and he cannot talk. All he does every day is literally sit in a diaper all day, with a padded hat on his head because he likes to hit his head. But he is completely locked in his own world, makes no eye contact, and the only time he expresses emotion is when he's having a meltdown. Would you consider this high-functioning or low-functioning? I'd consider it low-functioning, or severely autistic. Compared to him, I'm NT.

I wonder if I’m still considered high-functioning too, SharonB! (• _ •; )
I don’t go to school, I have nearly no interaction with anyone outside of family, and most days I don’t even go outside and yet despite that, I experience no distress at all with how I live, compared to when I did do all those things, and did experience distress. I feel very content with how my life is currently, even though I’m considered a little less normal than I was before.

1. Functioning level... Depends on if you separate my ASD-like traits from my bipolar disorder. It's bipolar that wrecks my functioning most with ups and downs in emotion. ASD is mild, but my profile varies, I've learned to socially function but I meltdown very easily and bipolar doesn't help in that area.
2. Bad at... Personal organization and keeping my area clean and I don't care about how I look most of the time. I have sensory issues with bras and socks and often don't wear either and I don't always remember to comb my hair.
3. Good at... Incredible memory for my special interests. Birds and nature, I haven't counted but i know the names of all North American birds (over 900), many international ones, plus plants, mammals, herps, fish, insects, etc...

Uh, I give up on this thread.

Fine, there is no such thing as mild, moderate or severe (even though it is a spectrum).

To answer the thread question: I was diagnosed with Asperger's, and I consider myself mild, high-functioning.

I'm bored now.

clearly this topic , leaves alot to read between , even the autistic persons guidelines ..
so seeing all this ... leaves me to wonder .. where does mild or low begin and end , if handling
ones own affairs , may be considered as high..on the or side . if social Isolation is the issue ,
you might not be as high as one would like . if you are MIXED BAG OF THESE ISSUES AND
are keeping the vultures away .. You could be very high on the spectrum . NTs must have somedays they feel they are not keeping up too. so perhaps this is a issue of sensory inputs . But everyone has bad and good days , i think .
Gotta wonder how subjective anyones individual opinion is . Forest from the trees type thingy .
Bias factor type of thing who is doing the interpetation of the tests.