University not understanding my autism.

Page 1 of 1 [ 5 posts ] 

SteelMaiden
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 19 Aug 2006
Age: 35
Gender: Female
Posts: 3,722
Location: London

28 Apr 2016, 9:05 am

My tutor at university said (in the presence of my support worker, who is with me all day at uni) "we don't really have experience of anything beyond Asperger's". (he is generally flippant like that and comes up with a lot of stupid comments)

I went on my university's disability pages and they seem to think that people with HFA/Asperger's go to uni (which is true, definitely), but people with classic autism don't / can't (false).

How do I best explain classic autism, as opposed to HFA/AS, to these people?

As I think only in pictures, I'm struggling to describe it in words.


_________________
I am a partially verbal classic autistic. I am a pharmacology student with full time support.


kraftiekortie
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 4 Feb 2014
Gender: Male
Posts: 87,510
Location: Queens, NYC

28 Apr 2016, 1:53 pm

Based on your intellectual level, you do, indeed, have "high-functioning" classic autism.

I would estimate, based upon very limited data, that you would be diagnosed, per the DSM-V, with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Level 2, without language or intellectual disabilities.

Under the DSM-IV, you would probably have been diagnosed with Autistic Disorder. You would also informally be diagnosed as being "high-functioning.



btbnnyr
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 18 May 2011
Gender: Female
Posts: 7,359
Location: Lost Angleles Carmen Santiago

28 Apr 2016, 1:58 pm

You have HFA, since your IQ is high.


_________________
Drain and plane and grain and blain your brain, and then again,
Propane and butane out of the gas main, your blain shall sustain!


tetris
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 4 Nov 2011
Age: 30
Gender: Female
Posts: 730
Location: Scotland

28 Apr 2016, 2:43 pm

They're all the same thing, all just autism. If you want to go technical, based on the fact your iq is above 70, you are technically high functioning. Though functioning levels don't work. Would have thought you'd be best describing it in relation to you, as all autistic people are a little bit different. Tell them what your issues are and how they could help it. Rather than going in more general as that might not end up helping you.



SteelMaiden
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 19 Aug 2006
Age: 35
Gender: Female
Posts: 3,722
Location: London

28 Apr 2016, 4:57 pm

Thank you. "High functioning" classic autism / HFA makes sense. Apologies for the confusion. I do not appear "high functioning" at first impressions. I rock back and forth, chewing at my hands, and if you were to put your hand on my shoulder, I'd start screaming and probably hit you. I don't talk much as I find speaking hard. I have been called "r*tard" a lot. But when you get to know me, I appear more "high functioning".

Intriguing.

I'm going to type an email to my tutor in response to his commment, stating how autism affects me personally, as it is different for every case of autism.


_________________
I am a partially verbal classic autistic. I am a pharmacology student with full time support.