How High-Functioning are you?

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How High-Functioning are you?

Extremely: I have a good job, friends and a relationship	15%	[ 20 ]
Fairly: I work, have friends and have had relationships in the past	20%	[ 27 ]
Average: I struggle with work, friends and relationships	34%	[ 46 ]
Not Very: I am unable to work, have few friends and struggle greatly with relationships	20%	[ 27 ]
Not at all: I am unable to work, have no friends and no relationships	10%	[ 14 ]

Total votes : 134

skeeterhawk
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11 Apr 2008, 8:47 am

I want to add my opinion that knowing and understanding about AS is a great help to me even though I don't share my DX with the world. I am high functioning but anyone can see the lack of match between my measured abilities (academic results, attained degrees) and my accomplishments. Knowing my DX seems like it especially helps me avoid the episodes of confused, chaotic depression I have always struggled with. Now that I can use the framework of knowledge about autism, life still has periodic times that really suck, but I am not quite as vulnerable to them.

Put another way, the overall diagnosis of autism is not that helpful. The specific descriptions of what tasks are difficult for me due to my biology (and not due to "bad attitude" or "laziness") are extremely helpful. For people with more pronounced traits than mine, it seems like a DX should be used to point out and establish legally (to assistance agencies) which specific tasks one needs assistance with.

crimebabe
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11 Apr 2008, 8:49 am

WhatWouldDaveDo wrote:

crimebabe wrote:

hey dave

its lauren
im just going under a different user name

how you been

feel free to pm

and i hope none of those suicide attempts have been recent ones

x

Bloody hell! Hiya! I'll pm or txt or summat!

hey babe i just got ur text but i aint got no credit till the weekend
but we can pm if u like xx

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Paperplate
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11 Apr 2008, 8:55 am

Very much in the same position as klstoner and WhatWouldDaveDo.

The ignorance of ppl around you leaves you helpless. I am self-dx and there is only one AS spesialist in this city I know of. I have had 6 other pscychologists/psychiatrists each make a different diagnoses, some unofficial. They called it "tendency towards...this disorder" which I translate as too high-functioning. This is after I went to seek help without any-one knowing. I always thought there is more behind this and discovered AS online by doing my own research. Everything became clearer, the way I function today, as a child, genetics, etc. It's as clear as daylight to me that I'm an Aspie.

I don't know whether I should go to this AS dr, I actually just want to know where I am on the spectrum, if she tells me it's my imagination (she prob won't) I'll lose it!

Have a job, had a relationship, few friends

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Danielismyname
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11 Apr 2008, 9:01 am

2ukenkerl, taken from the DSM-IV-TR (this is from the section where it tells the professional how it manifests):

Quote:

The disturbance must cause clinically significant impairment in social adaptation, which in turn may have a significant impact on self-suffiency or on occupational or other important areas of functioning (Criterion C). The social deficits and restricted patterns of interests, activities, and behavior are the source of considerable disability.

I live at home too (with my mother), I forgot that.

And this is what it says in relation to outcome:

Quote:

The prognosis appears significantly better than in Autistic Disorder, as follow-up studies suggest that, as adults, many individuals are capable of gainful employment and personal self-sufficiency.

Irulan
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11 Apr 2008, 9:24 am

I'm leaning towards an opinion that my level of functioning is, according to the poll:
"Average: I struggle with work, friends and relationships":
Work - I don't have a job but I'm a student so it doesn't count - my teacher practice (for free :roll: ) may stand for a job here. I am perceived an eccentric person by my students. I didn't even try to seem such an average teacher, anyway even if I had taken this attempt, they'd find out in fact I am not such a teacher with ease.
Friends - I have only few acquintances.
Relationships - I have never had it and I even don't need it. Anyway if I had a boyfriend (or even a girlfriend, doesn't matter, I guess that I'd like both the sexes the same like Walt Whitman) it would have to be another weirdo - with AS or schizoid personality disorder - we would bore each other to death with a normal man.

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Greyhound
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11 Apr 2008, 9:28 am

I need an option 'I work, have few friends and struggle greatly with relationships'.

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Sedaka
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11 Apr 2008, 9:29 am

how does freindships & relationship = high functioning?

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Danielismyname
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11 Apr 2008, 9:41 am

Sedaka wrote:

how does freindships & relationship = high functioning?

That's a good question.

These two will be the hardest to achieve for someone with AS, and perhaps if a professional sees that you can, or have had these whilst working and living independently that one is affectively normal then, for how is it any different to "normal" people?

Then, "high-functioning" is AS and AD [without mental retardation], no matter what they can or cannot achieve if they meet the criteria outlined. So even if one lacks these [friends], they'll still be seen as "high-functioning".

I say listen to the professionals that you see, otherwise, there's no point in bothering to worry about the disorder as if you cannot listen to the professionals, you cannot listen to yourself either.

WhatWouldDaveDo
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11 Apr 2008, 9:45 am

Sedaka wrote:

how does freindships & relationship = high functioning?

Good question...I guess that when I wrote the poll I lumped a few things together. I tend to think of high-functioning to mean "able to co-exist reasonably comfortably in predominantly NT environments". It might well be possible to be pretty seriously disabled with AS or Autism and still have a relationship and friends, but I'd expect it would be the exception rather than the rule.

It's a fairly narrow view of functional level I guess. Some people might define it as the ability to perform tasks, in which case you might have no friends and no relationship but be a wizard in the kitchen or incredibly skilled on a computer or whatever.

Aspergers is characterized as a problem that mainly affects social interaction though. As such I don't think it's unreasonable to use people's ability to interact with other people as a guide to their functional level.

Of course, someone might not WANT friends and relationships...but I would expect that would be a minority and would also probably be related to some problem or another. In fact, the DSM thing I read recently suggested that a strong desire for social interaction can exist in an AS person, with the frustration associated with the constant failure to actually HAVE that interaction causing depression or other problems.

Paperplate
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11 Apr 2008, 10:03 am

WhatWouldDaveDo wrote:

In fact, the DSM thing I read recently suggested that a strong desire for social interaction can exist in an AS person, with the frustration associated with the constant failure to actually HAVE that interaction causing depression or other problems.

very true

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Mudboy
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11 Apr 2008, 10:17 am

I am documented as moderately to severely mentally disabled. I have some trouble with work, and no friends.

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KingdomOfRats
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11 Apr 2008, 10:20 am

WhatWouldDaveDo wrote:

I am pushing very hard for a proper assessment for Aspergers at the moment. I've been told by several psychiatrists (not AS or autism specialists) that I am probably "on the spectrum" but no-one has been able to give a DX. I've been speaking to the Outreach coordinator at a local Autism charity (SACAR in Bradford) and she's said that I might be struggling to get a DX because I'm so high-functioning. She has recommended a couple of specialists (one being SBC) who have experience in dealing with cases like mine. I'm getting worried that I might never get a definite Yes or No as to whether I have AS or not and I do think that a solid answer would be really helpful to me.

I score around 40 on SBC's Autism Quotient test thing, which is fairly high as far as I can tell. That said, a 50-question test isn't going to give them same accuracy as a proper assessment! I play several musical instruments, I've been in several reasonably successful local bands, I hold down a full-time job, I drive a car, I engage in social sport and I've been in several long-term (and extremely dysfunctional!) relationships.

Is there a point at which you are so high-functioning that whether you have AS or not (or can be diagnosed or not) becomes irrelevant? I feel like a DX and some proper support would be a huge help to me, because despite my achievements and the successes I've had in my life, I'm thoroughly miserable and have been for a long time. I'm consistently frustrated that my ability to comprehend and learn the subtleties of a programming language or a musical instrument fails so completely when it comes to understanding people and social situations.

There are clearly people with AS who are far more "disabled" (for lack of a better word) by the challenges their condition causes than I am (if I even have it). However, should that preclude me from the benefits that a successful DX and ongoing support might bring to me? I'd like to hear what experiences any extremely high-functioning AS sufferers went through (or are going through) to get a DX. Has anyone just given up? Should I?

whatwoulddavedo,
what sort of supports do think would help?
it's possible to get DLA without the diagnosis as long as the symptoms and support needs are there [this is said a lot on the BBCs ouch/disability forum].
there might be some services in the NAS that can get without diagnosis,would someone from their befriending scheme help?
there is a member on here who is currently training people for the befriending scheme.
Also,could get a CPN [community pyschiatric nurse],they can help in a lot of ways,am think it would be worth trying [am have a LD CPN through social services],think would have to go to GP to get one.
a therapist could help with the MH side.
a ASD specialist [one who has worked with adults] might be able to diagnose as they will have more experience.
it might mean having private assessment.
if would like that,the NAS is supposed to have a list of private ASD pyschs in the country.

Am LFA [not AS] and get easy access to services and specialists,but it took a long time to get there as many staff did not believe am was LFA due to not having significant MR-they associate classic autism [on any level] with being another word for ret*d,it took Autism training from old Autism speech therapist,and a Autism specialised pysch. to make them understand.
it can be hard getting funding for some services sometimes,though that is due to living in full time residential care,council do not like funding for more support if already live in FT residential,as they say the support shuld already be there,but they don't offer extra specialised support for people with Autism/high complex needs.

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Izaak
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11 Apr 2008, 10:21 am

I'd be under not at all...

Of course I have been steadily employed since early teen years (and before that picking up extra chores for extra pocket money), and have one friend. (though I am working on getting more... well, more acquaintances anyhow, I have enough friend(s))

mikebw
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11 Apr 2008, 10:23 am

I voted fairly, though I don't have friends. I do have a steady job, for over eight years now. I had one relationship, haven't looked for another since. I've had a few friends, but haven't kept in touch with them and haven't tried to get new friends either.

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WhatWouldDaveDo
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11 Apr 2008, 10:38 am

KingdomOfRats wrote:

whatwoulddavedo,
what sort of supports do think would help?
*snip*

I honestly don't know. I've actually been referred for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help with my depression and social phobia. I more want a positive DX for my own peace of mind, if you like. I think a lot of my problems stem from being different and a bit weird and never knowing what's actually been wrong with me.

Also, I believe that because I've never been diagnosed with a mental illness per se I am being prioritized for access to services. For example, I was told I would have to wait 12 months for CBT but after 14 months I am still a long way down the queue and it might be another 12-18 months before I start the treatment. I also have a lot of problems getting access to psychiatric help when I'm in crisis. I think both of these issues might be mitigated somewhat by a "proper" diagnosis.

Danielismyname
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11 Apr 2008, 10:49 am

KingdomOfRats,

I find it cool that you've taken the "LFA" label; I've always seen you as "LFA", just as an adult with such (not based on IQ). I also find it cool how you post here, along with several others with "classic" autism. It provides insight into the whole spectrum for those who probably won't interact with "LFA" individuals in person.

WhatWouldDaveDo,

You're correct, most people with AS wish to form friendships (just like anyone else), and the immense difficulty AS induces does lead to secondary mental illnesses and social withdrawal after repeated failures/rejections. Disability in this facet of the disorder is to be expected.

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