Information on High Functioning Autism...

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Knowing that I have it, since I was diagnosed with it at nine, I've always tried to find information on it. But everytime I do, all I get is stuff about High Functioning Autism vs. Asperger Syndrome. Someone here told me that it differs from AS because of the amount of developmental delays it has that AS doesn't have but I want to read up more on HFA by itself.

Anyone know any links that talk about just HFA without AS involved? D: I mean I just want to learn more about what I was diagnosed with. I have every right, don't I? >_____<

Try google with this search: "high functioning autism" -asperger -aspergers -aspie

That will exclude everything that mentions Asperger's Syndrome.

People with AS can and do have developmental delays.. What is different, I guess is that people diagnosed with AS typically do not miss developmental milestones, but many of those milestones are not required for an autism diagnosis, either. They're just assumed to be required (like late speech) rather than understood to be one possible part of the criteria.

For a lot of people, whether they get diagnosed as HFA, AS, PDD-NOS, etc. depends on who diagnoses them.

Yeah but I don't really fit under the diagnosis for AS. I feel more like its either medium functioning autism or high functioning but now I'm not even sure. I mean I have autism but I don't know what form it is or what it is... D:

If you were diagnosed HFA at 9, then you were probably diagnosed with autism/autistic disorder (I forget which it's called in the DSM-IV). Functioning levels are not "official" diagnoses, as far as it goes.

Your Aspie score: 159 of 200
Your neurotypical (non-autistic) score: 43 of 200
You are very likely an Aspie

Autistic/BAP

You scored 96 aloof, 103 rigid and 112 pragmatic

You scored above the cutoff on all three scales. Clearly, you are either autistic or on the broader autistic phenotype. You probably are not very social, and when you do interact with others, you come off as strange or rude without meaning to. You probably also like things to be familiar and predictable and don't like changes, especially unexpected ones.


Highly sensitive test

I checked 22 of the answers for this one.

If you answered more than fourteen of the questions as true of yourself, you are probably highly sensitive. But no psychological test is so accurate that an individual should base his or her life on it. We psychologists try to develop good questions, then decide on the cut off based on the average response.

Vocabulary
SubFacor IQ score = 80
Subscale percentile = 10

You appear to have a limited vocabulary and lack the ability to identify the correct responses for a variety of different questions. A deficient vocabulary can hinder you in many ways; you may struggle to find the correct words when speaking, fail to understand what others are communicating to you, or come across as inarticulate to others. Fortunately, with practice, and by expanding your reading materials and making a conscious effort to learn new words, your vocabulary can gradually increase.

Facial Recognition

Your score: 19
A typical score is in the range 22-30. If you scored over 30,
you are very accurate at decoding a person's facial expressions
around their eyes. A score under 22 indicates you find this quite difficult

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So anyway... I'm just wondering. I notice I fit into both but being either/or only confuses me even more. I'm not sure which one is which. I have poor motor skills, sensory to unexpected touch and sound. I always try to make social contact but when too many people start talking than I withdraw and do my own thing. I am disorganized too and I am strict to routine too. I get easily distracted and overloaded and sometimes my emotions can spiral straight into meltdowns, especially when under lots of pressure, dealing with police officers or other authorities, negative situations and being distressed... things that most autistics deal with.

I was bullied for being different. My teachers always said that I never interacted with the other students. I was made fun of by my whole class and teachers claimed I made unusual facial expressions that caused them to tease me but they also teased me about not showering, which wasn't true; even now I still make odd facial expressions. I stim mostly by flicking my hands or fidgeting or moving my hands rapidly at my sides.

I also have trouble with detecting emotions and facial expressions of others. The only time I have feel hyper-empathic is around my closest friends and my boyfriend. But other people, I hardly can tell at all. I didn't do well brushing my teeth and still find it hard just to bath EVERYDAY but I do when I only actually need to. I have bad teeth because I always refused brushing my teeth.

I hate almost all types of loud sounds. Often times I cover my ears or plug them with my fingers. I get emotionally overwhelmed and in my room, I am constantly yelling at my mom for invading my boundaries. I get mad at her when I have to do something out of routine. I hate unexpected change but if I am told ahead of time its not so bad.

I have a very extreme and beyond severe fear of dentists and hospitals. I feel as if I want to run right out of the room and go straight home and not have any part of either. I won't even go as far as just getting things over with because I just want to escape. Otherwise, I start breaking down and crying.

I get absorbed in things I do that I forget about what is going on around me and then if interrupted I find it hard to get back to what I was doing. I have huge HUGE interest in anime. Anime is the only thing I am interested, that I pretty much live and BREATHE. I have trouble making friends and even interacting with my friends that at times I have to withdraw from them because I have a hard time getting into the things they are doing.

I do have an amazing auditory memory. I am able to remember what is heard, if I am interested. In school, I never did work but on tests and quizzes I flew right through them. I can also see and hear things that my parents can't and my parents will ask me to read things off for them because I can see them better. Also, as you've noticed, I am a very VERY good writer and its the only way I express myself. I am capable of communication but have major problems being able to express my thoughts and feelings to others.

I also rock back and forth if I am nervous or excited. I make very odd screaming or screeching kind noises; or sometimes just high note noises when excited; forgot to add this. I also like to meow like a cat.

I notice I fit into both, but being either/or confuses me

Vocabulary
SubFacor IQ score = 80
Subscale percentile = 10

You appear to have a limited vocabulary and lack the ability to identify the correct responses for a variety of different questions. A deficient vocabulary can hinder you in many ways; you may struggle to find the correct words when speaking, fail to understand what others are communicating to you, or come across as inarticulate to others. Fortunately, with practice, and by expanding your reading materials and making a conscious effort to learn new words, your vocabulary can gradually increase.

A lot of those are true of me, and some of them used to be true of me. Hmm. All of them weren't, though. Not that this is relevant, just interesting.

I used to not want to go into hospitals at all, which is one reason I spent a month having continuous panic attacks before going to the ER several years ago. I've been okay with hospitals ever since, though.

I'm not sure what you mean by



Also, what is this test:

In other words, I mean that I fit in the cracks of AS and HFA... meaning that I border between the two. Both are so likely for me that I don't know which one fits more or which one fits less since there so much confusion of them being the same. They are even thinking of combining the two... so I guess either way I would just be AS.

...I don't know, I found it here in a thread. I can't remember where though now. O.o But yeah, I have poor vocabulary that kind of makes hard for communication sometimes though, some of the words they give you to make sense of, I think anyone would have gotten a bad vocabulary on unless you are a genius or something. -______-;

Yeah... that is a good point. O.o I'll have to explain this to my psychiatrist... somehow...