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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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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