Scientists discover link between ASD severity & Intelligence

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Although always suspected latest research shows there is a definite link between the severity of core ASD symptoms and cognitive abilities including intelligence.

I suspect this will be in the long-term problematic for Neurodiversity advocates searching in vain for a “pure benevolent autism” or attempting to claim cognitive function mainly intelligence was not linked to autism and its severity.

I suspect further research will back up this claim, given Intellectual Disability is universally considered a bad thing, this may be devastating to their attempts to change the general narrative on prevention & cure in the future.

https://link.springer.com/article/10.10 ... 22-05618-8

Does this regard just LFAs, or does it implicate high functioning aspies too?

Because if its the latter, I'm going to pretend I never saw this.

"There are three types of lies -- lies, damn lies, and statistics." -- attributed to Benjamin Disraeli (1804-1881)

"Facts are stubborn things, but statistics are pliable." -- Samuel Langhorne Clemens (1835-1910), as Mark Twain

The cited study was based on adjusted statistics.

LFA is just a casual term for ASD with ID.

The study suggests those with ASD 3 will have on average lower intelligence than those with ASD 2.

ASD 1 or Aspergers will on average be more intelligent than those with ASD 2.

ASD 1 includes Aspergers which used to require a normal or above intelligence to be diagnosed. So for this reason it’s not a great surprise.

They wasted money finding the obvious?

I walked and talked before I was 1. Self taught myself to read before the Kennedy/Nixon election.Was into looking things up in encyclopaedias from a very young age. In other words I was quite normal.

I fell more and more behind, in relation to my age and cognitive abilities, as the need for independent living skills increased.

The diagnostic criteria for the old autism types swayed the averages. Certain levels of cognitive amplitude had to be shown to be diagnosed with a specific type of autism.

With the higher functioning types things get much more bizarre from the perspective of me. Some autisitcs can be incredibly articulate but need their housing, transport and financial needs met by carers and state benefits. Others can be like planks of wood on the vocabulary side but can be very capable in other areas.

I don't regard myself as 'high functioning', but I'm definitely much more the 1st than the 2nd type.

I'm more the type that has succeeded enough to earn a living----but that's about it. I never became a professional, or did any great thing, or raised a kid. I haven't done much, in essence.

But this doesn't make me "less" than anybody else. I demand that people respect me as a human being.

As for the subject of this thread: I don’t find it an absolute truism that more severity equates with less intelligence. I’ve seen the opposite.

Most people with severe autism have a intellectual impairment. That is why their cognitive level is so low and why they can't follow directions and why it's harder for them to learn like manners for example and appropriate behavior.

The significance of the research is the linking of ID and Autism. Since 30-45% of autistic people have ID there is an undeniable obvious link.

They are basically saying one follows the other in a linked relationship of severity of symptoms, which is not the same as the coincidence comorbidity explanation given by some in the ND movement who try to sugar coat autism.

I feel like the percentage of people with autism with "intellectual disability" is much less than even 30%.

This wasn't true 30-40 years ago, though.

The criteria for an autism diagnosis has broadened so much----that many people who don't have ID have had an autism diagnosis since the beginning of DSM-IV.

Under the diagnostic criteria for Asperger's Syndrome (which was in DSM-IV, but is not in DSM-V), one cannot have an intellectual disability.

They (CDC) take these figures at 8 years old & have been doing so for many years for consistency. Its been a constant 30-35% (approx) with a 15% wait & see (borderline) on top. After 18 the wait & see splits in two with half joining ID & the other half normal range.

So ID figures for autistic adults are higher than at 8 for this reason.

Its unusual for ASD 2&3 to be missed nowdays in the west.

ASD1 including aspies sometimes get diagnosed later.

Also Aspergers has a normal inteligence level criteria for diagnosis anyway.

Then you get into the debate as to whether it should be included as autism at all.

I know a very high functioning person who's been dxed with schizophrenia and Asperger's. He's not at all pleased with the current system re autism.

Using ADOS I see 3 groups.1. Both social communication and social interaction are at classic autism level. 2 One is at classic autism and the other non classic autism level 3. Both are at non classic autism level.