what is your functioning level in your opinion?

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Forget about what the psychologist, teacher, parent etc told you. I want to know how you perceive yourself.
1) what would you say is your functioning level? how does it differentiate from the functioning level in which they classificate you?
2) what are your biggest challenges in your opinion?
3) what are some of the things you are good at?

How I perceive myself:
1- mild
2- organizing myself, anxiety, emotional sensitivity, confidence/social steem/identity
3- academic subjects, imagination/creativity

no diff- I am medium-functioning in that I can nominally take fair care of myself in most respects but at the same time I struggle with worldly requirements relating to social interaction and finances.

keeping financially solvent, dealing with people, dealing with declining health.

collecting aches and pains, dust and disorder.

1) what would you say is your functioning level? how does it differentiate from the functioning level in which they classificate you? It depends on my mood. Some days, I can function normally and not even think of having autism. Other days, I can act withdrawn and in my own little world. So, with that said, I think my level of functioning is mild to moderate.
2) what are your biggest challenges in your opinion? Cooking, cleaning, staying organized, learning new things, dealing with severe anxiety over every little thing, making friends (offline)... i could go on forever with this.
3) what are some of the things you are good at? Writing, most definitely. Writing is my life, and I spend most of my time doing it nearly every single day. I've also learned to adapt to the microwave due to my lack of stove/oven cooking.

1) High functioning, which is on par with most other observations

2) Organization, maintaining a clean home environment

3) Academic studies, writing

so true! I hadn't thought of that but I am like that too. I guess many of us are. Somedays I am just okay and I don't even think of autism, other days things are just like hell, with everything going wrong, all symptoms worse, and barely controlling myself not to get to meltdown mode. I still haven't figured out why some days are worse but it probably has to do with hormones (hormonal cycle and such), stress and fatigue level among other things I still don't know.
Also a bad absolute thinking habit, for instance, my mood is okay then I do some little mistake in the morning and then suddenly I am thinking of all the things I can't do well, I can never do stuff well, I am a worthless useless person, my day is going to suck, my life sucks, hate being me etc but then in some other days I make a mistake and I am like "who cares, I am awesome". go figure! (everyone has good and bad days but I noticed I am much more unstable)

1) what would you say is your functioning level? how does it differentiate from the functioning level in which they classificate you?
I think my autism symptoms are mild to non-existent. What I mean by that is that a lot of my autism symptoms are very mild or in the NT range. I think my general functioning level is moderate because of chronic fatigue/lymes. I don't need that much help getting ready in the morning, but it's a huge struggle for me. I do need help cleaning my house and I can't cook yet. I'll probably be able to do that stuff when my health is better.
2) what are your biggest challenges in your opinion?
Executive functioning and motivation. I'm also socially awkward and anxious, but I don't really have trouble reading social cues.
3) what are some of the things you are good at?
Writing and learning fast. My long term memory above average, so I don't need as much review and repetition.

1) what would you say is your functioning level? how does it differentiate from the functioning level in which they classificate you?

It depends on my mood / how I'm feeling. It can vary from low to high. I really don't know how it works, so I would say medium.

2) what are your biggest challenges in your opinion?

Handling adult issues, like managing money, buying food, doing laundry, talking to people other than my mom / dad,

3) what are some of the things you are good at?

Video games I guess. I don't think I'm good at anything to be honest.

1. Medium functioning overall. A combination of high social functioning, lower excutive functioning, and pretty bad sensory issues for someone with an Asperger's diagnosis. Other's label me high functioning due to my social strengths and intelligence, and dismiss my other issues as laziness or exaggeration.

2. In terms of my AS, sensory issues and overload of all types, but I don't consider AS or any aspect of it to be the biggest issue in my life.

3. Memorization, empathy (the feeling other's pain part), open mind, quick to learn new concepts.

Like others have mentioned, my functioning level varies wildly from day to day.

Last edited by metaldanielle on 27 Sep 2014, 9:43 am, edited 1 time in total.

1) what would you say is your functioning level? how does it differentiate from the functioning level in which they classificate you?

Depends on how full my brain cache is. If I've been exposed to new input (any sense or experience) my functioning drops like a lead weight. If I keep new input to a minimum and stick to routine- I would say fairly high. I think what holds me back is that it doesn't take much new input to flip the switch and lower my performance.


2) what are your biggest challenges in your opinion?
I know it's gross and I'm ashamed of it, but personal care. I hate brushing my teeth so much, showers are painful. I do what I can and I don't stink but I know that I'm not 'normal' in my self-care. I hate eating too. Food is gross most of the time. I was punished a lot as a kid about these things- so I'm super ashamed of them now.

My biggest challenge right now is learning how to live as ME and not just NT-light. I don't want to push myself down any further. Trying to fit in has brought me here to a super big burnout, lost even more skills. BAH. It'll be fine in the end, it just stinks sometimes right now. I want to stim in public and not give a flying leap, I want to wear my ear defenders and not worry, I want to learn how to stop treating my autism as a behavior disorder (I grew up being punished for being 'bad'. I'm not bad- I'm autistic.)

3) what are some of the things you are good at?
If I know the song- I can identify it within two seconds, tops. I'm good at comedy writing (I studied long about it). I'm a good housewife and wife.

1) Level of functioning:
Mild to moderate depending on how much I've been exposed to people.

2) Biggest challenges:
Speaking. Day to day organisational skills. Anxiety/stress from dealing with sensory issues and people.

3) Things I'm good at:
Keeping my mouth shut. Talking with my hands. Alienating myself from people.

1) what would you say is your functioning level? how does it differentiate from the functioning level in which they classificate you?
Maybe medium functioning on good days, but due to other disorders I have on top of it I can be pretty non-functional as well. I am diagnosed with aspergers which is now typically considered high functioning autism...but I don't function all that well.
2) what are your biggest challenges in your opinion?
Everything, living...I also absolutely suck at going to the grocery store or any large stores to get things I need or even just things I want that are within my budget, even with a list it seems like I forget things or get too overwhelmed and decide to get whatever else some other time so I can get out quicker I have been tempted to just leave everything and not even buy anything due to getting all on edge and overwhelmed just from what to most people is likely a simple 20 minute trip to the store. I don't end up showering as much as I should, especially when feeling especially depressed or suicidal since yeah a shower isn't the top of my list when I feel like that. Though sometimes it can make me feel a tiny bit better if I get up the energy. There is more but I already don't like admitting any of what I've already said.
3) what are some of the things you are good at?
Getting along with animals/pets, trying really hard and failing at things, exhausting myself, getting too overwhelmed, considering suicide ect...well there is not a lot of good things I am good at. I also try helping family/friends when they need it but a lot of times my good intentions aren't enough so my help ends up being less than helpful or at least i think it is, I used to be quite good at reading and researching things but not so much since I developed PTSD I guess I still am good at that when I am up for it.

How I percieve myself?...I might want to wait till I am in a better mood before I go into that or it will be a horrid rant of self loathing and stuff no one really wants to read.

ASAN is against functioning labels as we all have some things we're good at and some not so much. so a general label will end up miscategorizing people to not get help or not be given opportunities.

things that challenge me are change and criticism.

i'm good at taking tests and all right at writing. i sing okay.

I have NVLD and my biggest challenge is feeling socially awkward.

I'm good at taking test, academics, and learning foreign languages.

Not sure what level I function at and since I'm socially awkward it would mean to me that I'm medium to high for not being socially assertive and confident, but other areas in my life I'm high functioning.

High and in the middle of Aspergers and classic autism.

Diagnosed Asperger's/mild ASD. Borderline moderate classic autism.

People know from behavior and immediate social interaction with me, that I am disabled somehow (healthcare keeps assuming ID).

Last edited by Lumi on 27 Sep 2014, 1:01 pm, edited 7 times in total.

I don't like functioning labels either. I am often called "high functioning", but I identify much more with people who are usually called "low-functioning" because they have problems with speaking, self-care, executive functioning, and self-injury. I think they call me "high-functioning" because I speak in a very formal and precise way and because I score well on standardized tests. But if you look at my daily living skills, they are about as good as you might expect of someone with a moderate cognitive disability and decent occupational therapy growing up. I'm barely independent and in the process of begging for an aide, in hopes that maybe it will let me survive well enough to go to college because someone will be there to remind me to eat, sleep, and pay my bills.

As for what I'm good at--mostly academics. I love learning and I'm good at it. I line up facts in neat rows, and find the connections between them. I'm highly logical. Give me a library and I can become an expert on anything, given time and interest. But being good at learning does not mean being good at surviving school. I never studied until college, nor learned to study, because by the time they covered things in school I had already learned them on my own, often years before. I should have been in gifted classes and special education, but they were both denied to me because of how my mom insisted to herself and the world that I was completely normal--not simultaneously years ahead and years behind my peers.