Spectrum Functioning Levels and Labels

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I don't mean to be rude by asking this, but I'm just looking for some insight on this controversial topic:

I noticed that some people, on the spectrum, take offense whenever they're diagnosed as high or low functioning, even though there are different types of spectrum disorders that differ from person to person.

Furthermore, I see why it may be offensive to diagnose someone as either high or low functioning, but I was diagnosed as high functioning, while my younger brother was diagnosed differently from me.

Were you diagnosed as high functioning? In the US, you can only be diagnosed by how much support you need in three levels, which is a different thing. As far as I know, high functioning is not an actual diagnosis.

The problem with high and low functioning is it underplays the difficulty of those who are high functioning and does not recognize the abilities of those that are low functioning. If someone cannot speak, they can be considered low functioning, even though they may have many skills and abilities. Those pegged as high functioning might have hidden issues (i.e. people can't see on the surface) that makes day to day living really hard.

High and low functioning seem to be labels indicating how close to neurotypical someone seems to be on the surface. If you are articulate, that puts you into the high-functioning box because to neurotypicals feel you are more normal. But being articulate is not a criteria for an ASD diagnosis. What it really means is neurotypical are more comfortable around you and they don't have to deal with your condition. And if you can't cope, then it is a personal failing, not ASD.

Yes, people do get too controversial about functioning labels. Not me, though. I'm a textbook example of a person on the very high-functioning end of the spectrum.

I believe that the people who don't think they are high-functioning or low-functioning are most likely moderate-functioning.

It's so hard to explain. Maybe I'll make sense and "win" this debate if I could use big words, but I can't.

The way I understand people getting offended is that "high" and "low" focus generalizes all the potential issues autistic people face. It winds up superficial, as Jiheisho's already explained.

There was an article I saw that put the "spectrum" closer to ratings on 7-8 different levels. I don't know the odds of anything like that getting adopted in official practice any time soon, but knowing more precisely where someone struggles and not forcing them to fit any overgeneralized molds like "high" or "low" function comes off as more genuinely interested in an autistic person's well-being.

"high" & "low" were definitely not the right words*, nor was a simplistic polar scale very useful in the long run.

this is really about how well an individual can play the social game on a mostly verbal level.

as i have said before, it depends for each individual on situation, moment, & even one's immediate or farther-back prior history; all of which are ignored in the act of labelling. i am distinctly more "low-functioning" before i've had my coffee, & when i've been traumatized (e.g. being yelled at or fiercely rebuffed), it can set me back for the rest of the day.

it is good to be able to notice variations, in verbal ability as well as all the others, but it turns out to be more troublesome than helpful to turn this into NAMES.
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*just suppose they had used "more-affable" & "less-affable"?

Last edited by graywyvern on 22 Jan 2021, 5:22 pm, edited 2 times in total.

I'm not saying that every autism case should be strictly divided into HF and LF, I'm just saying that there ARE cases of HF and LF, like myself for example (HF). I had a meltdown (or panic attack) at work today because of the COVID problem but I'm still able to function as normal.

Autism comes in many shapes and sizes. That is the reality.

You can have a person who has to wear a helmet so that he/she doesn't harm him/her self.

You can have a nuclear physicist.

I'm certainly not the "highest of the high," nor the "lowest of the low." That's the case for most people with autism.