I hear autistic people described a lot as "high functioning" and "low functioning." Even fellow autistics and parents use these designations. I initially found myself using the descriptor "high functioning" to assure people that they didn't have to worry about me throwing a tantrum or having a meltdown or something amorphously awful. But I've given it some thought after reading other sources, and I've decided to stop using those descriptions of people.
Firstly, as someone much better at speaking than me pointed out, calling someone high or low functioning is dehumanizing. Respectively, you're calling them "almost human" and "not really human," and defining "human" as "able to blend into our health- and wealth-center idealizing culture." That's not okay.
Second, the standard of measure is false. Saying someone is high functioning is effectively saying that they have few problems with blending into the modern culture. That is false, at least in my experience. The most successful of us to blend are the ones who can act; the ones who studied what "normal" is supposed to look like and shaped ourselves masks to fit.
As long as we wear the masks, people won't give us too hard a time for existing, or draw away from us, or worry about being near us. But they're just masks. Worse, is that when you act "normal" people assume you have no problems. That's laughable even for neurotypical people, but it's especially laughable for autistic people. The autism alone gives us plenty of problems, but it often comes with a host of other problems: depression, anxiety, sound or touch sensitivities, and even food sensitivities or allergies.
I'm somewhat on the fence about how to describe autistic people so as to assure our humanity to the casual listener, but at least one category that can be used is "verbal" and "nonverbal," with plenty in between. Most days, I'm pretty verbal and articulate. Some days, not so much.
In truth, I spent so long trying to learn what "normal" was and compromise with being myself and being "normal" that I'm not entirely sure whether the verbal and articulate parts I've developed are really me. Or what exactly "me" is. So perhaps I or someone else verbal and articulate on the spectrum will be able to develop a descriptor that doesn't deny humanity to those of us that are a bit different.... not less.
Second, the standard of measure is false. Saying someone is high functioning is effectively saying that they have few problems with blending into the modern culture. That is false, at least in my experience. The most successful of us to blend are the ones who can act; the ones who studied what "normal" is supposed to look like and shaped ourselves masks to fit.
As long as we wear the masks, people won't give us too hard a time for existing, or draw away from us, or worry about being near us. But they're just masks. Worse, is that when you act "normal" people assume you have no problems. That's laughable even for neurotypical people, but it's especially laughable for autistic people. The autism alone gives us plenty of problems, but it often comes with a host of other problems: depression, anxiety, sound or touch sensitivities, and even food sensitivities or allergies.
I'm somewhat on the fence about how to describe autistic people so as to assure our humanity to the casual listener, but at least one category that can be used is "verbal" and "nonverbal," with plenty in between. Most days, I'm pretty verbal and articulate. Some days, not so much.
In truth, I spent so long trying to learn what "normal" was and compromise with being myself and being "normal" that I'm not entirely sure whether the verbal and articulate parts I've developed are really me. Or what exactly "me" is. So perhaps I or someone else verbal and articulate on the spectrum will be able to develop a descriptor that doesn't deny humanity to those of us that are a bit different.... not less.
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