Can a Person with a High IQ Be "Very Autistic?"

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Can a Person with a High IQ Be "Very Autistic?"
From my own experience, I can say that I agree wholeheartedly with Carole in this sense: Many people with "high functioning autism" or Asperger syndrome have overwhelming sensory problems; accompanying mental illness (depression or biopolar disorder, for example); and/or extreme anxiety. These issues are very significant and very real - and can make daily life almost impossible with a good deal of support and intervention.

But are these issues - anxiety, depression, sensory issues - the same thing as autism? Or are they separate issues that occur for different reasons - perhaps as a result of having to navigate an often-incomprehensible world? At this point, none are part of the core diagnostic criteria. Even the experts are still on the fence regarding the question of whether anxiety, depression and other mental disorders are actually part and parcel of Asperger syndrome.view article

There is nothing in the definition of AS, or of autism, which would preclude someone with very high IQ from being considered very autistic. Those who are too autistic to be able to speak may have low IQ scores when tested with methods that emphasise language use, but they often have much higher performance IQ scores.

Any psychological problems which accompany AS are considered comorbidities, and I think that's quite appropriate, since very few of them are anywhere near universal. I think it questionable to categorize AS as a disorder in the first place, so lumping it together with other, occasionally related problems seems to me to be a step in the wrong direction. I'd rather look at the most common strengths that come with AS and other points on the autism spectrum, and research the neglected strengths.