#high functioning labels

[psychotic-tbh]

I saw a notification replying to a post I may have reblogged(?) but I can’t find this reply in the notes/reblogs of any recent posts for one reason or another

Either way, I just want to put this out there: I don’t support the terms “high/low functioning” as I understand its implications of “aspie supremacy” as some call it, and the perpetuation of stigma relating to neurodivergence.

(Note: I say “neurodivergence” rather than simply saying “autism” because I have seen allistic folks or folks with other neurodivergences—autistic or not—describe their conditions/neurodivergence as “high functioning”)

“High/Medium/Low Support Needs” is an excellent alternative I’ve seen, and I much prefer supporting these terms rather than “low/high functioning” labels

Anyway, I understand that I haven’t said it before, so I’m saying it now /nm

[la-esmerqlda]

I would like to thank Elon Musk for breaking the stereotype that “high functioning” autistic people are geniuses, because he’s genuinely so fucking dumb I can hardly even fathom it.

[chiropire]

A sentiment I see sometimes, mostly in the high masking level 1 LSN autistic community, is the disdain for all labels about how impaired you are, especially the autism levels and support needs.

A lot of what I see is people saying they're bad, there's no need for them and that they have no use, that they're basically functioning labels and ableist, that we shouldn't be comparing ourselves and each other, and that they somehow don't include high masking people.

None of these things are true, they ignore the fact that often these labels are self-identifiers, and honestly, I think when having discussions on terminology like autism levels and support needs, the voices of levels 2-3 and HrSN people need to be centred. We're the people who need these terms, we're the people who often depend on them to actually communicate our needs, so when people go around saying these terms are bad without having so much as an afterthought about us it is really upsetting and hurtful.

I've seen people say we don't need the terms because we can just explain the supports we need as if it was so easy to do so. Many of us have such complex needs that trying to explain them all the time isn't possible.

[zebulontheplanet]

“I don’t like the terms high support needs and low support needs because they just remind me of functioning labels”

You realize that it’s not bad for someone to need more support then you, right? You realize that people needing more or less support than you is a thing, right? You realize that maybe we still need labels to get the point across and build community within a community, right?

You realize that the lives of higher support needs people and lower support needs people are different so they need something to connect with eachother, right?

If you don’t and still think that…then maybe you need to work on yourself.

[nickythehickey]

thomas the high functioning boy i love you

[crippled-peeper]

when the site’s most racist user is obsessively posting about me again (I am a white man im just pro refugee and have a spinal cord injury)

[spooksforsammy]

Saw really wrong statement so need get out.

Low functioning autistics do exist. High functioning autistics exist too. It an identify, and for some a diagnosis. You might not like term, or want used on self, but to say no one is functioning label is wrong.

Know others who call self low functioning n know some who use high functioning. Know some who use severe autism and special needs. Know some who hate those and only use autism/ support labels. That’s fine! It’s how identify self.

No the world shouldn’t determine worth based off how much can do. But some of us have accepted not able do much for society. Accepted fact can’t function how society wants. That ok.

Please don’t say (low/ high) functioning autistics don’t exist. Because then forget n block out so many of use that do exist

[chronicsymptomsyndrome]

Love, support, education, and accommodations are infinitely more important than a clinical autism diagnoses. All of these things are vital except the last, and I wish this didn’t feel controversial to say.

[alphashley14]

I attempted to ask my parents if I could go to therapy last night because I suspect that I may have undiagnosed ADHD.

My Dad scoffed, as if annoyed, and said “If anyone has difficulty doing anything nowadays it’s because of some mental something or other.”

- Says the man who I’ve suspected for years to be an undiagnosed autistic or other sort of neurodivergent. (Not that I’d ever say that aloud because God forbid.)

And I was so stunned and hurt that I all of my points/arguments left my brain.

Just- imagine being so close yet so far away from the POINT.

And my Mom was hardly any better. She shut me down by saying how “everyone struggles to focus on things they’re not interested in,” and “Well that’s part of your Asperger’s!”

… This is exactly why I’ve grown to HATE being a so-called “high functioning” autistic person. Any time I bring up wanting to go to therapy for unrelated issues it gets either brushed off or forgotten about because I’m “high functioning” and I don’t externalize my mental health symptoms like my sibling does (and therefore it isn’t an embarrassment or inconvenience) so it isn’t an issue and I must be fine.

Maybe I should just explode. Drink. Smoke something. Scream. Break some shit. Let my grades drop. THEN could I get some therapy? (Not that I would ever actually do any of that but sometimes I feel like that’s what it would take for my parents to take me seriously when I say I’m not ok.)

-Anyway. Just figured if anywhere would have people who understand this experience, it would be on Tumblr.

[n2-crisis]

Can’t get accommodations for your autism? Going into burnout?

Try: buying more fidget toys and telling yourself that this time it will help

[mordecaispe]

i fucking hate how autism advocacy is so largely populated by late-diagnosed high-functioning autistics that forget that some people can't mask because you get takes like fuckingnfjdjdj "stop using functioning labels they're ableist" (they're not saying you're low/high-functioning is a neutral fucking statement just like saying ur disabled is) or god forbid fucking "well actually autism doesn't inhibit people that much and people like the stereotypes don't really exist" fuuuuuck you i AM the stereotypes, i use diapers as a disability aid and struggle to take care of myself without help, my "job" can barely be considered a job because anything else exhausts me too easily or i fail to understand it, i almost didn't fjcking pass high school, the only thing keeping you from immediately branding me as what i am (severely disabled) is the fact that i can type coherently fuck yoooouuuu. like i get it you all want rights i want rights to!! but the shit that you say in an attempt to get rights for yourself makes it so much less fucking likely for people like ME to get rights too. you're not taking a step forward by ignoring the fact that we exist you're just taking twenty fuckin steps back for god's sake

[redtail-lol]

The statements

"Functioning labels have done and continue to do harm to autistic people, especially those with higher support needs, and as such allistics should not call people by these labels, and autistic people should not call others by these labels unless they know the individual prefers them"

And

"Functioning labels have done and continue to do harm to autistic people and as such they can be reclaimed by autistic individuals to use for themselves"

AND

"Some autistic people feel that functioning labels are inaccurate for their experiences, and others feel they accurately describe the way they feel, sometimes even moreso than support needs labels."

Can all coexist

[theres-whump-in-that-nebula]

Yay I’m gonna be medicated!!!

[snrland]

"No, you can't act exactly like your brother. He acts like this because he has autism. You have no reason."

Huh, my bad

[chronicsymptomsyndrome]

Cannot fucking stand “support needs” labels. They were intended to replace functioning labels but—explain as people might—I still cannot see the true functional difference. I would not rather be called “low support needs” than “high functioning” because one is not more correct than the other. Both are wildly incorrect.

Don’t even get me started on “mild” autism. Unless I hear it from the mouth of an autistic person, I will never believe that a single autistic is having a “mild” experience trying to navigate this world.

[thousandyearphantombunker]

I'm sorry but low functioning means incapable completing Basic adls not low masking high functioning means you can complete basic adls (which exclude things like driving/holding down a job etc) its not that we're necessarily high masking and they are low masking they are often straight up incapable of masking.

High functioning/low support needs/level one might fail to catch how much your autism actually impacts you but don't erase severe autism.

People with low functioning autism are often incapable of dressing themselves or bathing alone or basic food prep or they might need sanitary devices like diapers cause they can't complete basic daily tasks

There's also people who are high functioning and incapable of masking (many nonverbal people for obvious reasons cannot hide their autism and outside of that me and my cousins despite being high functioning and verbal cannot hide our disabilities)

High functioning is misleading yes. Often high functioning people deal with unemployment and struggle with things like rent or overstimulation and burn out but please do not phrase high functioning as high masking (that gets rid of people like me and my cousins) and low functioning as low masking (that erases people like my uncle and cousin also that's even more misleading they are incapable of caring for themselves in any real capacity)

I don't mean to be a dick. But I'm tired of higher functioning autistics taking over the conversation when it comes to autism. Low functioning autistics exist and it isn't that they aren't masking or are bad at masking it's that they need more help than us.

I don't remember who said it but whoever suggested to use "high masking" and "low masking" instead of low and high functioning i love you so much. Its the only words I feel really work for me. I was diagnosed with "high functioning autism/aspergers" which the 1st one just didnt fit me i felt bc it just isnt true and the 2nd word has nazi history so um no thanks. Lots of people use low and high support needs now but those don't work for me either. Like i would be considered low support needs i guess but I do need lots of support with daily things i definitely do not have low support needs if i take the definition litterally. I am high masking.

High masking suggets that i look like i am high functioning and okay although i am not and that's very validating