In a lot of posts from users in the US, I see people mentioning being on a spectrum and being functional autistic. How is that diagnosed and what it is? I am asking because in my country autism diagnosis is given to people who are unable to properly function on their own, and in some posts I see that the symptoms some describe are e.g. “not caring about what people say” , “getting distracted easily” etc,.
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Sounds like in your country they only go with the old diagnosis of autism, which was the severe form. It used to be thought this was the only form of it.
However, it’s now recognised that it’s a spectrum, so there are milder forms. Hence it is now called “Autism spectrum disorder” or “autism spectrum condition”
It’s likely helpful to know the definition of autism:
1. Difficulties in integration and social communication
AND
2. Restrictive interests and repetitive behaviour
Until recently we called the mildest form “Asperger’s syndrome”. Clinically it’s not used anymore as the cut off for its definition was a grey area. It’s probably this type of range that people mean by “functional autism”. They don’t have any associated learning disability and able to live and function independently. There are lots of people who have functional autism. It’s often diagnosed later than the traditional type, often in adolescence or adulthood. And many don’t get diagnosed (for some who fall in this category they would not benefit from a diagnosis, while others would)
As for the latter part of you question about people describing symptoms; “not caring about what people say” could reflect their difficulties with social communication, they are unable/struggle to express their own feelings in response to what has been said.
As for the “easily distracted”. There are at least two things that this could reflect. One is that if their particular subject or activity of interest is available in there vicinity, they will repeatedly try to go do that (eg one of my friend’s kid’s, who is at the milder end of the spectrum, is obsessed with drawing. They need to keep stationary and drawing stuff out of sight for her to concentrate properly on something else). The other thing is that ADHD is more common in people with autism, so many will have symptoms of that too
There’s not a diagnosis for functional autism. And it’s not really a term most autistic people like, because it’s rather outdated. Because it draws a line between people with autism based on ableism.
What it means is that the person can “function” in society without tons of accommodations or other help. Autism, like most disorders, is a spectrum, meaning that there is a wide range of how it is expressed. Some people are able to more easily “mask” or hide their autism. These are generally what was traditionally called Aspergers. This term is no longer a diagnosis.
It’s important to note that even if a person with autism cannot mask and cannot communicate in a traditional way, that does not mean that they are not functional.
Functional autism, also known as high-functioning autism, refers to individuals on the autism spectrum who are able to navigate everyday life relatively well
While they may face challenges such as difficulty with social interaction or attention, they are still capable of functioning independently
Diagnosis is generally based on a combination of behavioral assessments and consultation with professionals specializing in autism
It’s important to understand that autism is a spectrum disorder, meaning that individuals can exhibit a wide range of symptoms and abilities
Hope this helps!
Autism is a very broad category. [Here’s](https://icd.who.int/browse11/l-m/en#/http%3a%2f%2fid.who.int%2ficd%2fentity%2f437815624) a description
Functioning labels (high functioning autism (HFA) and low functioning autism (LFA)) are outdated terms that were used to describe autistic people with a speech delay but without an intellectual disability (HFA) or with a speech delay and with an intellectual disability (LFA). For autism without a speech delay (and without an intellectual disability), the diagnosis Asperger Syndrome (AS) or Asperger’s Disorder was used.
Technically, neither LFA nor HFA were ever official diagnostic terms. They shared the diagnosis “Infantile Autism” or “Autistic Disorder”. Today, all of autism falls under “Autism Spectrum Disorder”, with specifiers to clarify if there are any cognitive or speech impairments present. But the transition is happening very slowly and many (most?) countries don’t officially use the new criteria yet. But if, in your country, really only people who can’t function on their own at all get diagnosed, that means autism is extremely underdiagnosed (a common problem probably everywhere in the world, but in some places it’s worse than in others)
Autism has a wide range of effects it can have on an individual. Generally, autism makes it harder for people to pick up on social cues (body language, tone, sarcasm, etc.) as well as empathize with others, and makes them extra sensitive to sensory overload (loud noises, physical touch, certain textures/tastes). People with autism often thrive in strict routine; they engage in repetitive behaviors to soothe themselves as well as develop obsessive interests in certain topics, and they often react poorly to unexpected deviations from routine.
Depending on how it manifests, some people have mild social quirks while other people never even learn to communicate. High-functioning is less of an official diagnosis and more just a way to specify that a person is closer to the first type than the second.
It’s not the most accurate of terminology though because Autism is a spectrum, and so there are really countless different ways it can manifest, so it’s sometimes difficult and rather offensive to even attempt to quantify one person’s autism as being “higher-functioning” than another person’s.
It’s a flawed measurement, subject to loads of bias and prejudice, kind of like IQ. Some people may not be considered high functioning in our society but may function just fine in a society whose social expectations are different.
Thus, I would use the term “high-functioning” with lots of care and caution.
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