Can a moderate functioning autistic person live independentl

Post Reply New Topic

I'm sorta the same as firemonkey, and my HFA + Schizophrenia combo likely makes me akin to a moderately functioning autistic. I'll always be independent, albeit quite poor, but that's alright.

A disability pension keeps me fed and the bills paid. The roof, I lucked out on.

It probably depends on exactly what things you struggle with and your definition of “living independently.” For this purpose, I’m not sure it really matters what’s due to what, I’d just try to identify what you can manage well enough yourself, what you have trouble with, and if/how you could try to improve on the latter. You can also try to find work-arounds for some things, different ways to approach things that might make them less of a problem for you. Finding “coping mechanisms” to reduce/manage things like stress, anxiety, and loneliness is also important. Even if it’s not possible now, you may be able to improve and manage at least some level of independence.

I was diagnosed before they had the “leveling” system, I would classify myself as moderately-functioning. I have my own apartment and manage everyday tasks like cooking and cleaning fine, but I rely heavily on my parents for pretty much everything outside the house. I’m at the awkward place where I’m not disabled enough to qualify for much in the way of outside support, but too disabled to make do without. I can’t manage a job, most require more social interaction than I’m reliably capable of and/or skills or abilities I do not have. I’m on SSI, but what I get would barely cover rent for a low-end apartment even before bills, groceries, etc. (the sort of place where you get roommates of the more-than-two-legged variety and are treated like a piece of gum the landlord stepped on and is trying to get off their shoe), I’m fortunate enough to be in a position where my parents are able and willing to provide enough money to make ends meet at a halfway decent but not pricy place. I can’t drive and there’s not much in the way of public transportation in my area, so I rely on my parents for transportation as well. Usually I go grocery shopping with my mom. It’s extremely hard for me to speak understandably over the phone (often I’m hard to understand even in person), so my parents manage things like making appointments. I live alone (except for my dog), but I’m still heavily dependent. But it still grants me more freedom than I had before, and personally, I actually do better with some level of isolation. I’ve long since gotten past the point where I actually desire much social interaction, and I’m not being constantly bombarded by everything indirectly telling me how worthless and pathetic I am. I wasn’t consciously aware of just how many things send that message every day until I was finally free of them. And it took me until age 28 to get this far. And it took me until age 28 to get this far.

As for diagnosis, I think with moderate ASD, it’s usually apparent early on that something is “different” or “off,” but isn’t necessarily identified early. That really depends on how self-aware you are, the mindset of the people around you (whether they’re willing to believe there’s a legitimate reason you are truly incapable of meeting NT expectations, or if they’re convinced it’s only because you’re not trying hard enough, simply don’t want to do things, etc.), and most importantly, how much you, those around you, and any sort of person who might give a diagnosis actually know about autism. ASD is very diverse even among people with the same diagnosis, and even professionals are not always well-educated about it. Misdiagnosis and/or missed diagnosis can still happen. And for me, it became much more apparent with changing life situations. I was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome in fourth grade, but I fell further and further behind at every sort of transition (elementary school to middle school, high school to college, college to trying to find a job, etc.). And I still got the “No, you just don’t want to/don’t care” mindset from my parents even after diagnosis because they thought that it really only meant that I’m shy, smart, and don’t like loud noises (fortunately they later learned, but I grew up having such shouted at me (even in those words) every time I didn’t meet their expectations). I did fine in school largely because I had the stereotypical Aspie memory up until some point in high school, where I lost it, and I tend more toward shutdowns than meltdowns, but I couldn’t meet expectations besides getting good grades as they piled up. Whether the effects of my autism have gotten worse with age or simply became more apparent, I expect that if I was re-assessed today, I would be diagnosed with ASD level 2.