How would you tell what % of autism a person has?

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Blooie, thank you for your thoughtful response. I actually had not even thought about the hormonal aspect of all of this. You make a really good point with that. It is definitely a factor and most likely one for males as well considering that they have hormonal cycles too.

It is so sad what your therapist said about the camp and abuse situation. I don't understand it. But I have seen it in many cases. My disability lawyer has a husband who has advanced Parkinson's and he needs 24/7 care. I know that they have had to get rid of a couple of his nurses as well due to abuse. It is very interesting because we talk a lot and educate ourselves a lot about our conditions and Autism and Parkinson's seems so have a lot in common, and that is understandable since they are both neurological.

I really feel for you as well that you also experience these neurological breakdown experiences. It would be so amazing to just have a help button where the magical genie would appear and meet all our needs! I am really happy for you that you have a support system with you that can help you during those times. I have literally had times when I have been so overwhelmed and incapacitated by whatever is overwhelming me at the moment that I literally wonder if I will be alive the next day. But I don't worry or become afraid during those moments because it just is what it is and whatever will happen will happen. I have just learned to wait and at some point, my brain will reset and I will be able to function again. Even if it takes a few days, that is just part of what my life is.

It's interesting, I had such a moment last week. I mentioned it on a different thread. I had had one conversation that was so overwhelming to me that even though the conversation lasted about five minutes, I was completely incapacitated to pretty much zero functioning for two days and then had trouble functioning for the next two. For the first two days, I lost the ability to know how to eat and I was not able to. All I could basically do was to lie or sit still. Then after that, on the third day, it took me some effort to relearn how to again. I also had very little cognitive ability during the first two days. Even the effort it took to have real productive thoughts in any way was almost impossible. I was basically just kind of like a zombie or approaching a kind of vegetable state.

It's interesting that this conversation which triggered the massive Autistic PTSD which made me so nonfunctional was an argument with a chiropractor who has known me exactly an hour and a half and only in his clinic. He decided that there is no reason why I should not be working. I have had to basically quit my job which I was only working 6 hours a week because 6 hours a week was so overwhelming to me that I would pretty much become nonfunctional on a near daily basis. The PTSD is so severe now because I have spent my entire adult life having to justify my existence and beg for help that I can never get and explain to people that I am so much more severe than anyone can imagine because I look so much like an nt. I am so damaged now that I can no longer sustain some of the most simple conversations. People do not understand how much a part PTSD plays in Autistic people and I think that is true no matter where you lie on the spectrum. And PTSD is only one of the many severe challenges.

As "high functioning" people, we have also been and continue to be brutally bullied, neglected, and abused. It is just in different ways than your son would be but the damage is equally destructive. I often say that as a whole, Autistic people have so much more in common with each other no matter where we are on the spectrum than people realize. It's just that some abuses and severities are much easier to visibly see than others. I know that you, in your Autism, have times when you suffer just as much as your son does, just in different ways. I also know that he has talents and abilities that he might far surpass any of us in but people don't readily see that so they don't create ways for him to express them and that is very sad as well.

I think it is very important to talk very openly about all of our issues and how functioning labels are very inaccurate. It is so important to educate everyone so that resources can be creatively designed to meet all of our needs. We should also be in the forefront of designing the resource systems ourselves for us and for our Autistic loved ones who cannot speak for themselves.

I will be doing a workshop in January about Autism. An Autism mom asked me to do it after we had a talk and I taught her so much about her son. I would love for you and for everyone here to give me feedback on what you want parents and teachers and caregivers to know. Whenever I do a project like this, I want to represent the entire community as much as I can. We are the best advocators for our community. I really believe that. I am very grateful for what you are sharing. I realize it is painful for you to do so but it is so important and so helpful.

Oh my God how relieving to know others experience these things to this level. The part about PTSD arguments etc really struck me. My little sister (she is an OT) has always said I display The signs of PTSD and I think you're right. It's ongoing, too, as the conflicts that are inevitable for us are usually avoided easily by NTs. Really, it doesn't even have to be conflict. I attended a very simple nice bridal shower for my sister, I had NOTHING to do but attend although of course I contributed what I could (gifts and restaurant food). Her friends (amazing people) took care of everything and treated me like an honoured guest. However, such a beautiful experience was followed by days of barely functioning.
This is one reason that ASD people have such a hard time gearing up for positive things too, like parties, because the executive functioning needed throughout, change in routine, transitions, adjusting to each new person, stimuli, etc, it all eats up the limited quota we have.

Things can stimulate in a good way too, but if it's irregular, then it's too much.

I read a great story by Enid Blyton once, as a child, which gave me a sort of formula for life (an aspect of life anyway).
There were 2 pet rabbits, living lives of routine, etc. Content, but start discussing how an adventure would be welcome.

Anyway what happens is, that night a pair of pixies or fairies, they wake up the rabbits. They are part of a group, on their way to a Moonlight Party of some sort, thrown by the fairy queen, when their magic for their carriage ran out (fuzzy on the details).
They were wondering whether the rabbits would be kind enough to pull the tiny carriage the rest of the way there, like horses. They are welcome to attend the event and will be honoured guests, for doing such a favour.

Basically they do so, and attend the party, experience lots of fun and excitement, etc. They return, whatever. Basically they go on with their normal lives of routine, as pet rabbits, but now they have had enough excitement to relive and talk about for a long time.

They decide that one night's adventure was enough to last them awhile, and more often would be too much for them.
The pixies come by and promise to let them attend next year's party, which they look forward to but decide a party a year is enough.

So that showed basically their capacity for appreciation, but they needed the routine and predictable stability to be happy. It kind of alerted me to the possibility that not everyone needs to follow the same pace of life, that some are most content with routine and the occasional interruption to keep things from being dull. Like me, the rabbits liked to go over the same thing again and again, long after it happened, and didn't necessarily need regular socializing to be happy.

Good luck with the workshop!

I really like the rabbit story. We can all contribute and enjoy as long as we respect our limitations.

Thank you. I will let you all know how the workshop goes. Please give me thoughts on what you would all like me to speak about.

You either are autistic or you aren't. Yes, there are different severity levels, but everyone with an autism diagnosis is 100% autistic.

I think the person above put it in the best most succinct way, the discussion may as well close now as the question itself had a faulty premise.

I 100% agree with this statement (pun intended).

YES!! !! !! !! !