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Original poster

Doing some research - can you help me?

33 replies

Oracle · 27/08/2006 17:19

I really hope that it's OK to post this because I need some help with a paper I am about to write regarding Autism and the words 'High Functioning' I would really like some feed back from parents about what the words 'High Functioning' imply/say to them. I don't want this in the context of autism just what the words 'High Functioning' means to you?

I am not a professional I am a parent who has two sons with autism and to have a cross section of answers from other parents would really help me a great deal.

I promise that I will post here about my paper when I am through writing it.

Many Thanks

Oracle

OP posts:
MaloryTowersIsSlimAndChic · 27/08/2006 17:22

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
Oracle · 27/08/2006 17:26

Thanks for the response. It's quite worrying that as a teacher you have not come across this term because many of our children are deemed to be High Functioning - it's tagged onto their diagnosis

I really need know what that means to most people without the disability tag.

So thanks

OP posts:
domestickler · 27/08/2006 17:26

high functioning to me means that they are on the autistic spectrum but suffer mildly enough that they can mostly maintain a "normal" life.

Original poster
Oracle · 27/08/2006 17:27

Thanks Domestickler this is what I am looking for.

Oracle

OP posts:
RubyRioja · 27/08/2006 17:31

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flack · 27/08/2006 17:50

I imagine that a "high functioning" autistic person would

Be able to go to school and learn with other children
Be able to hold down a job
Be able to carry on a half-decent conversation

But still have lots of quirks, tendencies to get upset over things that seem trivial to most others, and not be able to do their best without some specialist support.

flack · 27/08/2006 17:51

OH, and they might come across as a 'weirdo' to other people who didn't know about their condition, sometimes, because of some of their quirks.

canadianmum · 27/08/2006 18:05

I have a girlfriend with an autistic son who she describes as "high functioning".

So what it means to me is an autistic child who can speak well, engage with others, go to regular school and play with normal toys but is developmentally delayed in some ways and has difficulty adapting to new situations when compared with a non-autistic child. He is on the less severe end of the autistic spectrum in other words.

rustybear · 27/08/2006 18:08

Hans Asperger identified children with normal intelligence and language development, but who also exhibited autistic-like behaviours and marked deficiencies. This became known as Asperger's Syndrome. When the resource at our Junior school was founded 11 years ago it was designated as being for those with Asperger's,and was intended to enable children to become integrated into mainstream education - this is what I would regard as 'higher functioning' - there are children with autism who would never be able to access any of the mainstream curriculum at all.
Since that time the idea of Asperger's as a separate condition has been challenged and most professionals now refer to 'autistic spectrum disorders',or asd.
The children in our resource have very varied abilities and symptoms - one of our last year's year 6 got level 5's in all his SATs, but another did not even attempt the tests - however , I would regard all of them as 'higher functioning' because of their ability to take part in mainstream classes .
Some people seem to take 'high functioning' as being the kind of 'rainman' abilities such as instant calculation or major feats of memory, but I would say this is a very narrow and inaccurate definition.

Original poster
Oracle · 27/08/2006 19:37

OK then so should High Functioning be based on your IQ or knowledge base? Or should it really be based on how independantly you are able to live your life?

My eldest now 19 years old could rival Einstein in his capacity for knowledge but it's how he applies that knowledge that in my opinion should determine his level of functioning. He can't leave the house alone, can't travel on public transport alone and would not know where to begin filling in his Incapacity Benefit Forms.

Taking part in a mainstream class is not quite the same as being able to live a mainstream life with next to no support but that is what is happening to our adults. It's also happening in mainstream schools they see the words 'High Functioning' and believe that means little if any support is needed.

Thanks all keep it coming

Oracle

OP posts:
rustybear · 27/08/2006 19:58

As I say, most if not all our kids are 'high functioning'- but they certainly can't get on in mainstream without considerable support.
One problem seems to be that if a child gets enough support to be able to cope and show signs of improvement, this is then taken by the education authorities (not the school I should add) to show that he now longer needs the support!

lemonaid · 27/08/2006 20:09

Parent of one NT child here and haven't read the rest of the thread.

High-functioning I would interpret as meaning that with support (either medium term or ongoing) the individual could integrate reasonably well into society, e.g. go to college / have a job / get married.

Now off to read the rest of the thread and see if I was right...

Gem13 · 27/08/2006 20:36

Trying not to be lazy but I agree with flack. And add that the individual would appear so 'normal' that it would come as a shock to an outsider when autistic quirks were shown.

WideWebWitch · 27/08/2006 20:39

High functioning to me means out in the world living independently and not necessarily even obviously autistic. I worked with an architect a few years ago who I swear was hf autistic, and ditto with a woman I work with now. It makes it a lot easier to deal with her now I've realised because it makes her actions totally explicable and I am managing to deal with them much more effectively as a result.

WideWebWitch · 27/08/2006 20:40

Parent of 2 nt children btw although know a little bit about autism because my sister works teaching Lovas technique and because I suspect my step father is aspergic so I read a bit about it. Which all makes me fairly ignorant, I do realise this.

Original poster
Oracle · 27/08/2006 20:49

I want the input from parents who don't have children with autism just as much as those who do have autism.

I need to know how society would define 'High Functioning'

thanks again

Oracle

OP posts:
tobysmumkent · 27/08/2006 21:27

Message withdrawn

Rosieglow · 27/08/2006 21:31

Hi, I don't know any autistic children and only a little about the condition. My first impression was that "high functioning" would refer to academic capability eg advanced reading, writing etc. Having just skimmed the rest of the thread I realise that this is probably completely ignorant...but that was what my first thought was.

tobysmumkent · 27/08/2006 21:33

Message withdrawn

singersgirl · 27/08/2006 21:35

I thought (parent of two NT boys) that high-functioning meant able to function relatively well in society - verbal, able to socialise (albeit with quirks/oddities), able to learn and live independently. I once met a high-functioning autistic boy, who was then aged 8, and if I hadn't known he was autistic, I would just have thought that he was a little reserved and a bit odd in his conversation.

cat64 · 27/08/2006 21:52

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brimfull · 27/08/2006 22:40

I would assume a person with HF autism was capable of learning to do some things independently and talking.

Original poster
Oracle · 27/08/2006 23:43

Thanks all

This is very interesting. I will now throw Aspergers Syndrome into the ring - which is also a form of High Functioning Autism.

Even amongest the autism community there is no clear understanding of what 'High Functioning' means and why the words are being applied to our children. This is something we need clarifying.I would certainly not wish to see those words tagged onto the end of anything to do with my child if they were none verbal - BUT - does that mean that if you are verbal you are High Functioning? Round and round we go.

I don't think that there is a right or wrong answer to this debate. But I would argue that we should 'all' be looking at the needs of the child. My own personal opinion is that if you use the words High Functioning that would be an indicator that the child or adult could make their way through mainstream society with a small amount of support. But the truth is that there are so many factor invloved in how someone with autism 'functions' that their ability to be High Functioning will very much depend on their environment and how well it does meet their needs. Sensory issues can almost knock the funtioning ability of someone with autism down to zero. Not being able to understand non-verbal communication also disables the functioning ability and as the child becomes older the mine field becomes even larger.

My paper will be asking should we really be giving sub-headers after a diagnosis at all? It's a bit like saying when is an ASD not an ASD - the answer being when it's High Functioning Autism or Aspergers Syndrome because in far too many Authorities that exempts then from providing any support.

Oracle

OP posts:
rustybear · 28/08/2006 11:21

"It's a bit like saying when is an ASD not an ASD - the answer being when it's High Functioning Autism or Aspergers Syndrome because in far too many Authorities that exempts then from providing any support."
This is why the resource at my school is dropping the Asperger's name - they are all referred to as having an autistic spectrum disorder. I don't think you can exclude Asperger's like that from the spectrum. In any case the original description made by Hans Asperger was much narrower than that used today by many people in the field. As you learn more about asd you realise how different each individual with this kind of diagnosis is. I am beginning to recognise certain 'types' in that one child may have certain things in common with one you have dealt with previously, and this sometimes is useful in working out how to help them, but you can never say that they will react, or develop, in the same way.

harrisey · 28/08/2006 13:23

To me (I have a so called high-functioning aspergers brother) it means that there are no learning disabilities/difficulties there along with the autism.
My brother has passed myriad exams, up to and including a-levels, but cannot leave his secure unit alone as he is a danger to himself as well as others. He has a high functioning intellect but no ability to function socially.