why do some people consider low functioning inferior ?

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I have 2 friends with classic autism and 1 Aspie friend. There is definitely communication difficulties between people with classic autism, but out of experience, I find it easier to communicate with other autistic individuals.

I find it much easier to communicate with autistic individuals. But that's not because my communication impairments are gone, its because they're expected.

Same for me

Umm, because lower functioning is inferior in many ways. Most aren't self sufficient, have difficulties with socializing, work, finances, communication and sometimes speech & motor skills.. etc. By basic literal definition it's inferior to be those things than to be higher functioning and more capable of successfully doing all of those things in daily life. It just is what it is. I don't mean to sound insulting or offensive if I do, but given the choice I would way rather be high functioning (and I am) than low functioning with a whole set of challenges that make even very basic things in life difficult and frustrating. Further, I've dramatically increased my level of functioning over the past several months via diet, exercise, and herbal treatments - and I can say first hand that being ever higher functioning, happier and healthier, is by leaps and bounds better than being lower functioning with a mind that can think and calculate but a brain that won't let you take the right actions to make good things happen for you in life. Given the choice, and I have it, I would never return to a life of what I refer to as Autistic hell when I can keep myself happier and healthier via disciplined diet and exercise.

I've accidentally discovered the same thing about myself over the past few years by having my closest friend to talk to... and then discovering I'm on the spectrum.. and then later realizing that he, too, is on the spectrum & that a major part of why we've gotten along so well and are able to talk to each other as much as we do is our mutual ASD traits and common special interests.

Yes, and I'd rather have 2 legs than one. That doesn't mean I label one-legged folks "inferior. Some of you just don't get it?! !

Depends how you're measuring things.. if life is measured by a footrace, one-legged folks are inferior to 2 legged people. It's as simple as that. If we're measuring who can write the best book, it doesn't matter how many legs you have when you're sitting down at a desk typing away.

Life is, in many many ways, measured up by how well you can function and perform in society, at work, financially, socially etc and being low functioning simply is inferior to being high functioning when it comes to doing and accomplishing these things. It simply is what it is as a matter of fact. what is it you don't get about that?

That doesn't mean that lower functioning autistics should be weeded out of the human gene pool, though. Everybody has a right to live.

QFT.
most low functioning autists live good lives with good support it isnt a bad or negative thing to be low functioning,its just different-its pretty arrogant of anyone outside of the label to make assumptions when theyre on wp complaining about NTs making assumptions about them,anyone who thinks we are pityful people are welcome to meet up and see what good support can do for us.

Recap: The op is the one who used the word "inferior, which is fine, as it kind of expresses the gist of her question, what she is trying to sort out within herself and what I hope people are working on here, trying to sort this kind of conundrum out within our own selves. Even if a person already thinks and feels he has understanding about this, there is always the learning experience of trying to communicate with someone else who is having difficulty understanding it. Goldfish has communicated a simple principle regarding functionality very articulately, even eloquently, but it has already communicated quite well on the very first page of this thread, and I also have tried to communicate about this throughout the thread, though maybe not so well.

It is evidenced to me that a lot of people want to skip a certain step in thinking and deflect and turn the topic in another direction. There are two ways to do it---One: make everyone exactly the same--ie all autistic people of equal capacity (which there is much bizarre evidence of people trying to do on this thread) and two: make other people responsible for ones own negative emotions. Re the latter, you could say that you feel bad because someone did this or that to you, and what they did is a causal factor of how you feel but what also correlates here is that for whatever reasons (causal factors) one has not developed the comprehensive understanding to turn this around within himself so that the emotional pain is converted into self acceptance and compassion for the other person. I suggest to go with the latter and try to develop a different kind of mind that can emotionally assimilate the cruel and ignorant behavior of other people so as to transform the negativity within oneself..(This is in no way to suggest not to fight injustice or stand up for ones rights).

Also,I assume people here are using this word "inferior" because it is in the title of the thread. As I have written, I never think of anyone as inferior, That word never enters my mind about any autistic person or anyone. I also tried to suggest that it is about the op's (and any of our) feelings about other people, and someone replied to me it was not, but rather about other people's feelings about people being (so called) inferior. This topic has been covered, also, when I wrote that some people have not okay feelings about themselves which they project onto others, but one does not have to buy into that dynamic. I do not believe a person really has that much control over other people's feelings. It is the job of oneself to feel ones own feelings, and this will solve a lot of problems. It will leave another person free to focus on his own feelings rather than get sucked into a negative pit with your own garbage. If a person is angry at other people because of these other people's perceived feelings, imo this is really in the category of an emotion/mental disorder. Basically you are blaming them for feeling what they are feeling when you do not even have control over your own feelings. This is not to suppress anger. I got sick for many years from doing that. If you are angry, simply feel the feeling, and do not go into a maze of thinking about another person, analyzing them and plotting revenge or whatever.

Thanks. (and hope you can take a compliment:-)

To all---this message is a good example of what I have just written about---- "Low" and "high" functioning is relative and contextual.

To me in the context of understanding, this person is much higher functioning than many if not most of the people on WP.. especially those who are yipping about and holding grudges toward so called nt;s. It all depends what you value. To me a higher reasoning capacity trumps just about anything else.

The best thing about this message it in ends with a suggested action. Not everyone may be able to visit, but you know that when and if you do, you will find at least one human being who is self accepting and can convey this concept to other people. He also seems to understand that the basic principle of interdependence relates back to his own conscious factoring of information. He knows how to turn things around in such a way that he is not left holding a grudge and dangling from one end of a stick. Many people do not know how to do this, be they "low" functioning, "high" functioning. "nt" or whatever.

And we're at the point where double amputees are competitive in the Olympics (and there was actually a question of whether he should compete because he has too much of an advantage from being a double amputee). In a footrace, the double amputee actually wins in this case. And in the book case, someone with communication difficulties who was thought to never be able to share any thoughts write a book that becomes a bestseller...

One legged people losing races is a facile analogy - would it make sense to run though life pointing out people's flaws and deeming them inferior (even if just in your head)? You over there, you're near sighed, that makes you inferior. You over there are hard of hearing which marks you down a peg. Get real. Besides, one legged people even on crutches can be more coordinated than an uncoordinated person.

I'm sure I'm not the first to bring this up, but that word inferior is subjective, yet certain posters are treating it as if it was based on facts. You are taking a look at someone on the superficial level of once glance, making uninformed decisions based on that once glance and calling it a day.

Jen may be low functioning, but is she inferior to the guys who destroyed Enron?
Or Pablo Escobar
Or any garden variety jerk who is high functioning but abuses power?
I'm high functioning, but I bet she does some stuff way better than I do.


Also, whenever someone makes a statement that they are superior by level of their HF, they're really pointing out certain aspects of their problematic thinking - especially when they try to make out like it's a fact, Their need to feel superior interferes with their ability to understand the depth of the question.

Different people are functionally inferior in various contexts, and one or two example or even hundreds or thousands of example won't make make that fact go away.. Obviously if a person has positive feelings and is dedicated to achieving this or that goal plus gets support and help from other people, he will have more of a chance to succeed. And kudos to him for his positive thinking, dedication and effort. That is a wonderful example to us all.

This is why I choose the homeless person with lice example. No, I would not invite such a person into my home. Then someone suggested to give this person a bath and get to know him. Yeah, sure:-) I do not have time for that, and I already know a bunch of homeless people, plus I would prefer to invite into my home a homeless person who does not have lice, and actually I have already done this on more than one occasion, and it did not go so well, not to say it might not go better in the future, as now my understanding is much greater than many years ago.. It also was implied that I do not know any homeless people and should try to get to know one (and, amazingly, this in response to a message where I actually described a wonderful heartwarming interaction with a homeless person I do know. More about him some other time). Actually, unless someone works in a soup kitchen or in a homeless shelter, is homeless himself or maybe a social worker, I probably know more homeless people and have talked to more homeless people than anyone here. I am the only crafts person where I work who encourages homeless people to stop at my display and talk to me and several do, and I know I have lost business because of it on many occasions, as if a potential customer sees such a person talking to me, then he will not stop at my stand, or if a homeless person comes up when there is a potential customer already at my stand, then the cujstomer will generally leave, which is why I stopped giving most homeless people who come to my stand money, as then they will keep coming back and constantly asking for more money, even if a customer is there, and if I say no, then some of them, especially crack head ones, get extremely aggressive.

I have just given a lot of contextual material about homeless people and my relationship with them, as explaining an obvious principle in very clear and simple language does not always seem to get the point across to some on wrong planet, so I have gone into more detail.

this is so true. I wish scientist and autistic people could develop some kind of vertical reality to show people what its like to be autistic for all lines on the spectrum and all variations of autistics and aspies.

It seems to me as if you're equating the word "inferior," to "worthless," when I and others have not said that or anything close to it. Only that depending on how you're measuring & comparing, being low functioning is inferior to high functioning. If it weren't, support wouldn't be required to make up for the deficits. It is what it is, simple as that.

Get real. That's good advice - you should take it yourself. You've got to be deluded if you don't see that life is actually measured, compared, and contrasted in these terms every single day in every single way.

I am nearsighted. That makes me inferior for jobs that require perfect eyesight. I would never be considered for sniper training or likely for ERT/SwAT police positions - or any other occupation requiring perfect uncorrected 20/20 eyesight because I am inferior to applicants who possess these qualities. Simple as that.

My best friend since high school is deaf/hard of hearing. He'd love to be a pilot, but his hearing impairment prevents him from being able to use radio communications and thus this inferiority precludes him from the hobby/job. It is what it is. Granted, hearing aid technology and other communication technologies MAY allow him to look into it again today or in the future, but as it stands, as requirements go and as things are measured and compared - he's inferior to those who can hear well enough to use radio communications equipment and thus cannot legally pilot an aircraft. It's not rude of me to say so, because it just is what it is, simple as that.