When someone says that autism is “on a spectrum,” most of you probably imagine a linear spectrum. On one end is “low functioning” autistics, those who have more difficulty with their symptoms, and perhaps also have a lower IQ. On the other end is “high functioning,” people whose symptoms are not too disruptive and can blend in with the rest of society. Perhaps you would even go so far as to say that one end is “less autistic” and the other is “severely autistic.” While psychologists used to view ASD in these ways, it is now understood that ASD does not work like this, and the spectrum those with autism fall on is not so simple.
First of all, there is no such thing as “less” or “more” autistic, just as there is no such thing as “less” or “more” neurotypical. If someone has the brain pathways associated with ASD, they are autistic. Period. No matter how their symptoms affect them, they have the same neurotype as every other autistic person.
Just as some neurotypical people may be better at fitting in, socializing, and completing everyday tasks, autistic people have a wide variety of abilities and experiences.
So if the autism spectrum isn’t based on “severity” or amount of difficulties, then what is it? As it is understood today, the “spectrum” is a multi-dimensional way of understanding the individual symptoms and characteristics associated with ASD. Everyone on the spectrum will have unique symptoms which can range from barely noticeable to extremely distracting (or helpful, because not all autism symptoms are negative). For instance, one person may be very good at forcing eye contact and appearing “normal in public,” but cannot deviate from their usual strict daily routine. Another person may be very flexible with what they do every day, but cannot socialize as society expects them to.
Of course, if the person also has an intellectual disability or mental disorder, they may have an even more difficult time dealing with their specific set of challenges. When someone needs substantial assistance for whatever reason, they are sometimes labeled as “high-needs.” Someone who does not need much assistance with their day to day lives is then labeled as “low-needs.” These terms are much more helpful than “high” or “low” functioning because they more accurately describe the differences between autistic individuals, and are much less condescending.
Just as non-autistic people all need some level of assistance in their lives, autistic people do as well, and their “amount of autism” has nothing to do with it.
Next week I will be going over the whole history of autism – that is, when it became first recognized to now. In that entry I will further explain all of the misconceptions surrounding the autism spectrum, along with many other interesting events in the community that I’m sure many of you are not too aware of, so stay tuned!