autistic's and people who care for people with autism, how do you guy's feel about these terms?
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terms like : high functioning/ low support needs autism and profound/ high support needs autism seem to be an interesting tabbo I have seen online, and they have people who like the terms and people who find them rude and offensive.
argument for using such terms:
they can help convey how much support or help they might need, just saying "this person has autism" doesn't mean much. someone with high support needs well, a lot of support and needs help in their daily lives quite a bit where as someone who is low support needs might need a bit of help or none at all and is able to care for themselves better in there daily lives, and clarifying can help make it easier to understand what the person might need.
argument for not using such terms:
terms like "profound" sound very negative and can be proceved as extremely rude and stigmatizing tords the person, where as low support needs or high functioning can make it seem like someone is better than someone who needs more help, or it can make it sound like the person does NOT need ANY help and can lead to high expectations that can be harmful to the person with autism.
my opinion (someone who was diagnosed with ASD at 9)
everyone with autism is diffrent and has different struggles, I get more overwhelmed with noise but I am not super picky about the texture of my clothing for example, and I am capable of caring for my basic needs and I am very independent and don't need any help that most others wouldnt need. but words like ''profound'' do sound very negitive, we could change the term to something less rude but use it to mean the same thing if that's the issue you have with it. I personally think /high/low fuctining can be useful to convey stuff, like I am high functioning, I myself don't need help with things like communication or getting dressed and i'm able to live an independent life. not to discredit or be mean to anyone needing more support, it's a spectrum and autism does affect everyone differently and that should be an important thing to keep in mind as well. I think we should veiw this topic with a bit of nuance and also not forget things like disabled aren't bad or dirty words.
i'd love to hear you guyses' thoughts on this so don't be affraid to reply your opinoin^^^
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i was diagnosed due to my mom needing disibility.. but im pretty sure i dont... i feel like when i was surrounded by people who did, i honestly thought they were the coolest, they are unique, cool, respectful. and honestly i feel like people with ASD shouldnt be hated nor insulted, i think "high functioning" and "low functioning" just help explain if you are able to communicate and function and are able to express aswell as talk and understand people.
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the people who diagnosed me for example, actually said the term "high functioning" which led to when i explained, giving me the ability to even leave foster care as it showed i could "live a normal life" and manage on my own and "funtion" a normal house.
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the people who diagnosed me for example, actually said the term "high functioning" which led to when i explained, giving me the ability to even leave foster care as it showed i could "live a normal life" and manage on my own and "funtion" a normal house.
@sighniu when I was nine, I was told I was mentally younger, but at the same time at 9 I had an IQ of 109 so I frankly have no idea what that meant exactly but I consider myself high functioning because I can care for myself, and I would be able to for example live at college and work a job the only thing I can't do is drive but that has nothing to do with autism (legally cannot drive untill I'm seizure free for 6 months in my state) and I can still live an average life walking to my work or taking a bus for example. I don't need help in my day to day life anymore than most people do, and i'm more independent than a lot of other people my age without ASD surprisingly and i'm not entirely sure why honestly. I think the mental age thing was likely a misdiagnoses or I was it was due to the social isolation I faced when I was younger that left me seeming younger mentally.
wilford bremly, sep, 27th 1934 to Aug, 1st, 2020
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@sighniu when I was nine, I was told I was mentally younger, but at the same time at 9 I had an IQ of 109 so I frankly have no idea what that meant exactly but I consider myself high functioning because I can care for myself, and I would be able to for example live at college and work a job the only thing I can't do is drive but that has nothing to do with autism (legally cannot drive untill I'm seizure free for 6 months in my state) and I can still live an average life walking to my work or taking a bus for example. I don't need help in my day to day life anymore than most people do, and i'm more independent than a lot of other people my age without ASD surprisingly and i'm not entirely sure why honestly. I think the mental age thing was likely a misdiagnoses or I was it was due to the social isolation I faced when I was younger that left me seeming younger mentally.
@Yanderemenhera i feel that, i went through alot and have been wondering if i am mentally younger.. i am high functioning also, i can do anything an adult can at 18 and am just a normal dude fr.
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the only thing IMO that high and low functioning as a term is to me- just saying the level on the spectrum, saying you can manage or not, if you can communicate and speak, if you can be "normal" but in reality, were not all normal, were unique, diffrent, and strong. we are all experincing our own life in diffent ways.
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As A high functioning autistic person with adhd, I think people who rope in autism as just "Down Syndrome" annoy me. thats it. I also Like being called "Special"
