Can there be such a thing as "high-severe" AS?

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My aunt thought of that, and I think it means that someone who has AS is very high-functioning, but has major problems with stuff like speech, reading, etc (that's my friend most of the time).

It is possible to have a diagnosis of AS and to be very severely affected. There's many care-homes and a couple of hospital units in the UK, that are full of AS people that are totally unable to function without a high level of support. Only about 12% of AS people in the UK are employed.

It is possible to have a diagnosis of AS and to be very severely affected. There's many care-homes and a couple of hospital units in the UK, that are full of AS people that are totally unable to function without a high level of support. Only about 12% of AS people in the UK are employed.

Second what Zarathustra said,as he sounds similar to the two aspies at the last res.home am lived in [neither were stereotypical aspies though].
But don't think that own friend is at the [high] functioning level,if the person struggles with speech,reading..... they affect the persons day to day functioning,if the rest of his functioning is definitely [high],it sounds like he has splintered functioning,meaning he's hf in some things,but mf or even lf [depending on weakness of his functioning skills] in others.
Doctors unfairly put people into only one set level,so the functioning level people are told they have by professionals often is not representing fully because many Auties and Aspies have splintered skills,yet often,others [eg,this might be teachers,family,medical people..]will listen only to what a professional has said because they have medical certificates,and not judge the person on their own functioning skills.
It leads to Auties and Aspies being either over or under supported,being under or over challenged.

Most people are severely affected by Asperger's (by definition it must cause impairment in an important area of functioning). When you look at it in the context of being no different to "classic" autism other than with the ability to verbally communicate adequately, it places its severity into perspective ("normal" speech for the most part, albeit with slight nuances in modulation, inflection and whatnot).

For some reason, this seems to be glossed over with "odd", "eccentric", "genius" and "quirky"; too many people focus on the few positives rather than the reality of the situation, and that reality is that it's a severe developmental disorder.

I imagine there is. Just look around at the people on this board. Some sound autistic, some sound NT. Some talk like professors, politicians or people with Down syndrome, others talk like gangsters or valley girls or warm and friendly psychologists.

The criteria for what makes someone "autistic" or "an aspie" covers a wide range of personalities and demands. I kept my own diagnosis mostly quiet throughout secondary school, especially since there was someone in our year presented as having "asperger syndrome" who needed constant attention. If I told people in school that I had asperger syndrome they most likely wouldn't believe me.

That said, I would not trust making an assessment of how severe someone's autism is here based on their posting style. I don't think it would be terribly accurate.