Autism spectrum — Large study supports discarding the term ‘high-functioning autism’

Life skills: Some people with autism may do well in school but have trouble with basic tasks, such as loading a dishwasher.

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Autistic people described as ‘high functioning’ because they do not have intellectual disability often still struggle with daily living skills, according to a study of more than 2,000 people on the spectrum1. The data should put the term ‘high functioning’ out of commission for good, the researchers argue.

The study, the largest of its type, shows that individuals deemed high functioning often have poor ‘adaptive behavior’ — the ability to perform basic tasks such as brushing teeth, tying shoelaces or taking the bus.

“The term completely disregards the difficulties these individuals have on a day-to-day basis,” says lead investigator Andrew Whitehouse, professor of autism research at the Telethon Kids Institute and the University of Western Australia in Perth, Australia.

What’s more, Whitehouse says, policymakers have used the term to decide which individuals should receive services or funding rather than carefully evaluating individual needs.

Autistic people are often classified as high functioning if they have high intelligence quotients (IQs) or excel academically. But neither of those traits can be taken to mean they do well in other facets of their [...]

Read article at spectrumnews.org

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