tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3967073850231837312.post4597831787251595051..comments2024-02-04T22:47:20.371-05:00Comments on No Stereotypes Here - Neurodiversity activist blog: Functioning labels and meaningCorina Beckerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04026707230826401476noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3967073850231837312.post-52375653212441072242011-12-30T09:55:01.341-05:002011-12-30T09:55:01.341-05:00Also, as I read through the other comments here, I...Also, as I read through the other comments here, I can see that it's very possible that most of us have missed the whole point of this article.<br /><br />VISIBILITY is key. Everything people are saying here about "functionality" and what's observed in the behaviors/appearances of people with autism -does- fall under the category OF "visibility."<br /><br />The point I'm realizing that was made here is simple: outward behaviors do NOT absolutely define what's going on in the mind. Just because people can't see the hand flapping, the rocking, the tantrums, the "finger filtering", the echolalia or non-verbal-ness, and other things... That doesn't mean that a person isn't Autistic or on the Spectrum. It means they either have greater control over these in front of other people, or they don't suffer from those -outward symptoms- of a much greater problem inside.<br /><br />Socialization seems to be at the heart of the issues with Autism. Social rules/customs, and one's ability to learn/conform to them, or even understand them. The outward symptoms mentioned, and others that I'm sure got left out, do not denote a person's ability to understand a social world well enough to "function socially" within it.<br /><br />I don't often give eye contact. I don't always smile on cue because I don't even catch peoples' cues. My vocal tones/volume are not always what others want. My jokes are only sometimes funny, and before the age of 17, I couldn't even tell a knock-knock joke successfully. My posture isn't what others want, and I can't read faces or body language in others hardly at all. I don't always understand what other people mean when they're talking to me, and people are ALMOST ALWAYS ASSUMING I meant something else than what I said, verbatim. I "data-dump", kinda like I'm doing here -- because I really DON'T know how to summarize pretty much anything at all. People label me in OCD-ish terms, and other things too.<br /><br />THESE are what Autism is. They are what Aspergers is. They are what A-NT is. They are a part of my social self. And people have the darndest time interacting successfully with me when it's more than "Hi" and "Bye" or "Could you help me with...?" I'm fortunate in that I can even ask that. And I never used to, until a few years ago.<br /><br />I look completely normal, other than my being overweight. There aren't any physical symptoms of Autism at all. But I do have it. I think that's what this article was really talking about, regarding people like me, upon second glance, as I read through the other comments here.JustRosyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01965222715326903941noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3967073850231837312.post-74659328949154178662011-12-30T09:40:37.315-05:002011-12-30T09:40:37.315-05:00I appreciate this point being made! Well done! I...I appreciate this point being made! Well done! I prefer to tell people, "Take me as I am, or watch me leave." I'm learning more and more, every day, that labels of any kind are ridiculous, outside the world of raw psychiatry/social work/etc. People who don't "get it" don't need to: if they're decent human beings, they'll treat everyone around them with real decency. That's all I ask, and it's what I do try to give. I don't know what more anyone could really ask of anyone.JustRosyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01965222715326903941noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3967073850231837312.post-46370652505788980792011-12-07T03:05:55.188-05:002011-12-07T03:05:55.188-05:00I have worked with a severe autistic child for the...I have worked with a severe autistic child for the past 5 years. He is labeled high functioning based on his abilities and needs. His social skills are low but improving, and he shows his wants for independence, but cannot control his melt downs over sensory issues or a break in his schedule. Some days, if you did not know him personally, it would be really hard to pin point him out of the rest of the class. I have never thought that he is labeled due to his physical apperance though. That is sort of discriminating.fle78https://www.blogger.com/profile/08534931510749589142noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3967073850231837312.post-65969033134975588762011-12-06T17:36:42.394-05:002011-12-06T17:36:42.394-05:00I totally agree with the sentiment of this post, b...I totally agree with the sentiment of this post, but, there still seems yet to be an acceptable alternative to these rather degoratory labels, and I do think that there are times when it may be necessary to make the distinction - for example when declaring your disability on a form etc. However, I don't agree with Stuart's analysis as I cannot see how it would be possible to switch from 'low functioning' to 'high functioning' over a few short years, and yet according to his explanation, I would have been low functioning 10 years ago when I didn't go out and needed someone else to do my shopping for me, but would now be classed as high functioning as I attend college daily, attend necessary school functions with my children etc, and have held down jobs. However, I know that the only difference is my increased ability to mimic other people's behaviour - therefore, 'high functioning' could merely be construed as 'great acting skills'.<br /><br />Having said this, I have worked with people who have been 'severely autistic' for want of a better description and who would not be able to 'act NT' even if they understood the concept. In other words, they were not able to communicate in any observable way apart from through their physical actions (eg, grabbing something when they wanted it, hitting when angry, rocking when upset etc) With the best will in the world, I'm afraid it would be totally confusing to NTs to describe myself and this chap both as simply 'autistic', as loathe as I am to put people in boxes, sometimes a more narrowly defined description is necessary - particularly when applying for particular services for example.Tundragirlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15257771695980623871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3967073850231837312.post-32296025368347924862011-12-06T16:45:51.418-05:002011-12-06T16:45:51.418-05:00Stuart, your definition of hf and lf actually make...Stuart, your definition of hf and lf actually makes sense and seems like a reasonable way to categorize people--but I agree with Corina that people are usually categorized by how they look and not their independence. In RL, I have seen a lot of people (with various disabilities) be called "higher functioning" or "low functioning" than someone else, just because of how they look. And of course people are often called "high functioning" on the Internet by someone who doesn't know them at all.Amanda Foresthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04200794053287551087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3967073850231837312.post-71023691146261535182011-12-06T16:04:47.046-05:002011-12-06T16:04:47.046-05:00I agree with this post.
@Stuart
If that is it I&#...I agree with this post.<br /><br />@Stuart<br />If that is it I'm "low-functioning", but on the internet people call me HFA assuming I do all of that, why?<br />Except if you want to count the times I go out on my own, it's, I think, almost four times a year, so I'm really HF, or not, I don't know anymore, what this means keep changing so I can't decide.<br /><br />I see it as LFA is the one who is not supposed to be talking and HFA is the one who is not important to be heard.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3967073850231837312.post-89466584669765029262011-12-06T14:45:49.527-05:002011-12-06T14:45:49.527-05:00@Stuart: There are problems with your assumptions....@Stuart: There are problems with your assumptions.<br /><br />You're assuming that being able to do one of those things means you can do all those things.<br /><br />You're assuming consistent ability to do any/all of those things.<br /><br />That's a Problem. It's a common "shut up, you aren't like my child" Problem.Neurodivergent Khttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02815685510033244185noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3967073850231837312.post-35429833353014282382011-12-06T13:39:02.490-05:002011-12-06T13:39:02.490-05:00Add to this the focus in "treatment" on ...Add to this the focus in "treatment" on indistinguishability, and I'd say you've got a very convincing argument.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3967073850231837312.post-3874416839164335672011-12-06T13:29:42.708-05:002011-12-06T13:29:42.708-05:00I can't speak for anyone other than myself, bu...I can't speak for anyone other than myself, but I tend to see "functioning level" as a indication of independence.<br /><br />For example, a person with "high functioning" autism is capable of living on their own, holding down a job and performing tasks that most of us take for granted such as preparing meals and using the toilet. Certainly not without it's struggles or to insinuate it's easy but to be able to do it at al.<br /><br />While a person on the "low functioning" end of the spectrum will always be dependent on someone to provide for them, to prepare their meals, change their diapers and so forth.<br /><br />So in the case of your visit to the store, the fact that you live on your own, you visit the store on your own, you make purchases with your own money and can maintain a dialogue with those people, they could assume that you are "high functioning" in the sense that you are able to be an independent woman.<br /><br />Again, I speak only for myself in the way I think of the terminology when/if I use it. I don't assume to speak for the people at that store or anyone else except to give examples of what I mean.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3967073850231837312.post-30278856657162952772011-12-06T12:23:53.299-05:002011-12-06T12:23:53.299-05:00A fascinating viewpoint. Thanks for writing this,...A fascinating viewpoint. Thanks for writing this, I think you've hit on something.Dixie Redmondhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18290571323764327616noreply@blogger.com