Spotty01
Well-Known Member
This is actually something I've wondered about for a pretty long time. The topic title pretty much says it all: why does ASD vary so widely?
Then again, it isn't one of my posts unless I make at least four paragraphs of exposition.
Let's see, you have "high-functioning autism", what I can only describe as people that are so high on the Spectrum that you wouldn't even be able to tell they have ASD unless you squint. I, for one, have HFA and, in my case, most people don't even know that I'm autistic unless I outright tell them. Sure, I'm socially inept (my words) and a little on the slow-witted side (again, my words), but if my school experiences are anything to go by, everyone just thought I was acting "stupid" to try and be funny or thought I was using my HFA as an excuse. But that's enough self-pity for one paragraph, let's move on.
You also have what some may call "low-functioning autism". Some people with autism can be the aforementioned paragraph (seem almost neurotypical at first glance), or can be completely non-verbal and need some sort of assistance their whole life. I recall seeing one guy at a local autism place (I think it was a support group for folks with LFA) that was constantly slamming a couple of metallic balls together or dropping them noisily onto the wooden desk in front of him, and just stared blankly off into space while doing it. I also recall one at my school that had LFA that could hardly speak, only by repeating the same couple of words over and over again with hardly any variance, though that may've been some other disorder on the side.
Also, I'm not positive about the difference between Asperger's and HFA (or autism in general). I believe one is characterized by having serious troubles socializing and the other doesn't? I dunno, and I'm not going to jump to conclusions or risk stirring anyone up.
That's the gist of it. You can have people on the Spectrum who are completely nonverbal, and then you can have people on the Spectrum who seem completely neurotypical at first glance. Why? I feel like something this wide a variation would be something entirely different, don't you think? Like people with HFA would have a different disorder than people with LFA, or vica-versa. That just makes more sense to me. I mean, don't take this the wrong way, but I see no real similarities between people with the different "functioning" labels other than being diagnosed with the same mental disability/disorder. So, why are they considered the same? Why does ASD vary so much at all? What exactly is considered "autism/Asperger's" and what isn't?
Oh, and the "functioning" labels. Allow me to rant momentarily about that; you can add onto it in the replies if you want. I cannot stand the "functioning" labels. I mean, yeah, it's what separates the nonverbal/lower functioning group from the borderline neurotypical group. But, when it comes to the term "low-functioning", that just feels a little... I dunno, offensive in my opinion? I don't know what else they could be called, but that just feels borderline offensive. 'Nuff said. But the term "high functioning" is a whole 'nother ballgame. Remember what I said before, about how a lot of people used to think I was only pretending to be, in their eyes, "stupid" to get attention or something?
In elementary school, I was accused of being little more than a good-for-nothing troublemaker. In middle school (I know I said in another post that I was diagnosed at seven, but it was actually seventh grade), they diagnosed me with ADHD or ADD, I'm not positive on which. It wasn't until I met a guidance counselor that had worked with autistic kids previously that I found out I was probably on the Spectrum, and that's when I was sent to a psychologist to have it diagnosed officially. Seriously though, if it weren't for her, we probably still wouldn't know what the base problem was.
Even in high school, I was frequently told to "get out more", accused of "making excuses", and often toyed with by the teachers thanks to my oversensitivity, even though I pretty much couldn't control it. If I try to say that my HFA was "making me act this way" or "made it harder to do this or that", then it was shrugged off with a simple "nah, you're too smart for that." On top of the aforementioned examples, I tried to get SSI (supplemental security income) for my mental disability because I can barely function in a social setting and, sometimes, I can't follow directions right off the bat, which may lead me to getting fired rather quickly. Unfortunately, I didn't get it. I'm not positive on why, but I have a feeling it has something to do with the fact that I didn't seem "disabled" up front.
I was answering the questions (with a little help from my mother every now and again), I could walk, talk, and do everything for myself just fine. At the very least, I proved to be easily distracted and occasionally got confused every once in a while. Regardless, in their eyes, I guess that's someone who could just as easily get off their a$$ and get a job. It's really frustrating, especially since people who are perfectly capable but simply too lazy to get a job are given disability right away, it seems.
They seem too occupied with giving it to the people who don't need it than those who do or believe that disabilities don't even exist unless you can "see" them; even one of my old teachers agreed with that sentiment, and is even willing to go to court so that I can get SSI if we ever try it again.
There isn't much left to say about this matter. I feel like I may have gotten a little off track while talking about "high-functioning" autism, but oh well. My point being, a lot of people seem to think that people with HFA aren't really autistic or are simply using it as an excuse in day-to-day life, not much else.
That is all.
Then again, it isn't one of my posts unless I make at least four paragraphs of exposition.
Let's see, you have "high-functioning autism", what I can only describe as people that are so high on the Spectrum that you wouldn't even be able to tell they have ASD unless you squint. I, for one, have HFA and, in my case, most people don't even know that I'm autistic unless I outright tell them. Sure, I'm socially inept (my words) and a little on the slow-witted side (again, my words), but if my school experiences are anything to go by, everyone just thought I was acting "stupid" to try and be funny or thought I was using my HFA as an excuse. But that's enough self-pity for one paragraph, let's move on.
You also have what some may call "low-functioning autism". Some people with autism can be the aforementioned paragraph (seem almost neurotypical at first glance), or can be completely non-verbal and need some sort of assistance their whole life. I recall seeing one guy at a local autism place (I think it was a support group for folks with LFA) that was constantly slamming a couple of metallic balls together or dropping them noisily onto the wooden desk in front of him, and just stared blankly off into space while doing it. I also recall one at my school that had LFA that could hardly speak, only by repeating the same couple of words over and over again with hardly any variance, though that may've been some other disorder on the side.
Also, I'm not positive about the difference between Asperger's and HFA (or autism in general). I believe one is characterized by having serious troubles socializing and the other doesn't? I dunno, and I'm not going to jump to conclusions or risk stirring anyone up.
That's the gist of it. You can have people on the Spectrum who are completely nonverbal, and then you can have people on the Spectrum who seem completely neurotypical at first glance. Why? I feel like something this wide a variation would be something entirely different, don't you think? Like people with HFA would have a different disorder than people with LFA, or vica-versa. That just makes more sense to me. I mean, don't take this the wrong way, but I see no real similarities between people with the different "functioning" labels other than being diagnosed with the same mental disability/disorder. So, why are they considered the same? Why does ASD vary so much at all? What exactly is considered "autism/Asperger's" and what isn't?
Oh, and the "functioning" labels. Allow me to rant momentarily about that; you can add onto it in the replies if you want. I cannot stand the "functioning" labels. I mean, yeah, it's what separates the nonverbal/lower functioning group from the borderline neurotypical group. But, when it comes to the term "low-functioning", that just feels a little... I dunno, offensive in my opinion? I don't know what else they could be called, but that just feels borderline offensive. 'Nuff said. But the term "high functioning" is a whole 'nother ballgame. Remember what I said before, about how a lot of people used to think I was only pretending to be, in their eyes, "stupid" to get attention or something?
In elementary school, I was accused of being little more than a good-for-nothing troublemaker. In middle school (I know I said in another post that I was diagnosed at seven, but it was actually seventh grade), they diagnosed me with ADHD or ADD, I'm not positive on which. It wasn't until I met a guidance counselor that had worked with autistic kids previously that I found out I was probably on the Spectrum, and that's when I was sent to a psychologist to have it diagnosed officially. Seriously though, if it weren't for her, we probably still wouldn't know what the base problem was.
Even in high school, I was frequently told to "get out more", accused of "making excuses", and often toyed with by the teachers thanks to my oversensitivity, even though I pretty much couldn't control it. If I try to say that my HFA was "making me act this way" or "made it harder to do this or that", then it was shrugged off with a simple "nah, you're too smart for that." On top of the aforementioned examples, I tried to get SSI (supplemental security income) for my mental disability because I can barely function in a social setting and, sometimes, I can't follow directions right off the bat, which may lead me to getting fired rather quickly. Unfortunately, I didn't get it. I'm not positive on why, but I have a feeling it has something to do with the fact that I didn't seem "disabled" up front.
I was answering the questions (with a little help from my mother every now and again), I could walk, talk, and do everything for myself just fine. At the very least, I proved to be easily distracted and occasionally got confused every once in a while. Regardless, in their eyes, I guess that's someone who could just as easily get off their a$$ and get a job. It's really frustrating, especially since people who are perfectly capable but simply too lazy to get a job are given disability right away, it seems.
They seem too occupied with giving it to the people who don't need it than those who do or believe that disabilities don't even exist unless you can "see" them; even one of my old teachers agreed with that sentiment, and is even willing to go to court so that I can get SSI if we ever try it again.
There isn't much left to say about this matter. I feel like I may have gotten a little off track while talking about "high-functioning" autism, but oh well. My point being, a lot of people seem to think that people with HFA aren't really autistic or are simply using it as an excuse in day-to-day life, not much else.
That is all.
