The high-functioning end of the spectrum doesn’t equate with intellectual disabilities (PC term for mentally handicapped or ret*d), as it definitively excludes anyone with that particular diagnostic classification. It is considered a developmental disability, and this form of diagnostic terminology includes autism and mental retardation as separate conditions; however, it is often misused as synonymous with intellectual disabilities.
A small percentage of people with Asperger's syndrome and HFA may also have a co-existent developmental disability, such as blindness, cerebral palsy, fetal alcohol syndrome, spina-bifida, and muscular dystrophy, which results in substantial functionality limitations (dependent on severity) such as self-care, mobility, independence, and economic self-sufficiency. Although by definition, a diagnosis of AS/HFA excludes the coexistence of mental retardation.
The autistic spectrum encompasses a highly diversified range of cognitive, intellectual and linguistic abilities that range from non-verbal and profoundly physically and intellectually disabled people with Classical autism (autistic disorder), whose social impairments are of one item amongst a multitude of severe medical problems, to the exceptionally gifted, articulate, and highly verbose individuals with high-functioning autism or Asperger's syndrome who may or may not be prodigiously creative in their area of expertise. AS is distinguished from Classical autism by its normal or near normal preservation of intellectual, cognitive, and linguistic development, which is significantly hindered or impaired in low-functioning individuals diagnosed with autistic disorder. The ASD continuum occurs in all racial, ethnic, and socio-economic backgrounds.
People with ASD's may be considered "socially challenged" due to their inability to interpret social cues, non-verbal communication, and demonstrate a sufficient level of what's termed "social reciprocity" (which I lack considerably). In an exemplified case of these inabilities, someone with a privileged social status may negatively stereotype or act with prejudice unfairly towards one with AS because his/her social behaviour may be perceived as non-compliant or that it is aberrant to the NT norm; nevertheless, every autistic adult is unique with regards to their own set of abilities.
It's important to distinguish the cognitive, sensory, linguistic, behavioral and adaptive profiles between more than at least a few individuals who may be formally assessed for a diagnosis at the high-functioning end of the spectrum, as that end maybe a "spectrum within a spectrum" itself. For example, an individual with a HFA diagnosis who holds a WAIS (Wechsler’s Adult Intelligence Scale) FSIQ score of 125, may perseveringly develop a normal adaptive-behavioral profile that is correspondent to a NT in adolescence, and will be able to function normally in a mainstream classroom with little support (due to good executive functioning skills); whereas, another individual with an official diagnosis of Asperger's syndrome who has a WAIS FSIQ of 188, which is classified within the range of “profound giftedness,” may be considered lower-functioning than the HFA individual because the individual with Asperger’s syndrome may have a much more predominant clinical profile of sensory sensitivities which effect his ability to learn and function independently without supports in place. In early adulthood, the same person may have developed a severe mental illness, which would therefore lead to a substantial impoverishment of his/her adaptive behavioral capacity, which may now be equivalent to that of a 10 year old and may be considered a mandate for social and independence support in the developmental services sector (provides qualitative support services for those with mental retardation and developmental disabilities), irrespective of the AS individual's exceptionally high intellectual quotient (IQ).
You can’t necessarily presume one’s intelligence by the eloquence of their expressive speech either. For instance, if one person with AS had his cognitive abilities assessed by a clinical psychologist (based on a self-administered WAIS test), the results that are presented may signify a statistically significant discrepancy between his VIQ and PIQ, such as having a VIQ (Verbal Comprehension & Working Memory sub-tests) of 145, which is precisely + 3 standard deviations (SD) above the mean FSIQ, and a PIQ (Perceptual Organization & Processing Speed sub-tests) of 62, which is approximately - 2 & half standard deviations below the mean FSIQ. This person may have an advanced vocabulary as-well as being grandiloquently expressive in one’s speech, but has a very slow processing speed and substantially lacks the ability to carry out tasks requiring adequate visualization-spatial abilities. This form of discrepancy may be indicative of a nonverbal learning disorder (NLD), and this cognitive profile associated with higher verbosity skills and lower motor, visual-spatial skills may be of presence in a moderate proportion of individuals diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome.
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Diagnosed with "Classical" Asperger's syndrome in 1998 (Clinical psychologist).
AQ: 48/50
Last edited by TheRedPedant93 on 07 Apr 2013, 4:53 pm, edited 4 times in total.
13 Mar 2013, 12:37 pm
