People seem to mix up autism & intellectual disability (ID)

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Several times I have been told that I am too smart to be autistic, that I'm probably not because I graduated from college with a challenging major (physics). It doesn't make any sense because there is no required intelligence or achievement level for a diagnosis of autism.

When you observe the people who are considered "low-functioning," it's obvious that many of them are intellectually disabled in addition to having autistic behavior. Probably a huge number of the diagnosed people are intellectually disabled, and this gives people a skewed view of autism because they are actually looking at autism+ID.

People who are more intellectually able may seem less autistic or not autistic because they try to hide their symptoms or they are better at creating coping strategies, but that doesn't mean that they don't have symptoms.

Another thing is that people will assume that someone who appears strongly autistic (stimming a lot and/or seemingly unaware of or disinterested in others) is "ret*d."

One psychologist who evaluated me wrote that I seem to have enough intelligence to overcome social difficulties. That doesn't make any sense because intelligence can't overcome a totally different neurology. Just being smart can't make a person typical. I wonder whether he was thinking that smarts can make people fake typicality...but the faking takes effort, tires people out, and the problem remains.

These doctors should know better than this.

So whats new?

Yes. Folks confuse autism with retardation.

And water is wet.

On the flipside autism is also associated with high intelligence in some people and I've also seen that reflected in peoples' idea of it.

He probably misunderstood the art of masking in general. While it can appear to make someone NT who is not, it is really smoke screen/camouflage. It does not overcome the social issues one faces, it only makes it look like it does temporarily. The cost to the person masking is huge over time. Intelligence only allows one to have more tools to mask with in those instances. It does not fix those social problems. In fact I think it can make it worse as people expect more from your abilities and that can lead to even more masking. A downward spiral develops when social pressure is increased in this process.

Intelligence can also enable one to figure out that trying to look normal is pointless, and that the best way to make friends is by seeking out fellow oddballs who are accepting of one's oddities. That's an accommodation strategy, not masking. It can indeed lead to "overcoming social difficulties" -- within a limited circle of people, though not the cultural mainstream.

(But that's probably not what the doctor had in mind, and it certainly doesn't make you NT either.)

So true. That was a point I had not considered.

Just yesterday I read a chapter that addressed this issue. Bright, Not Broken, section Misunderstanding the Spectrum of Autism. If you like I'll copy the relevant paragraph here for you. Let me know.

Yes I would like a copy.

I found this thread very informative. It confirms the general understanding I have for the subject. Intelligence certainly is needed for masking but can only go so far.

Severe classic autism is often either accompanied with intellectual disability or the person with it seems intellectually disabled.

During my first 8 years when I had severe autism I might as well have been intellectually disabled based on how I performed and the level of care I needed.

And I do not think they knew for sure if I was or not until I developed into being moderate enough for them to be able to test and gauge me better.

Yep high functioning autism is often seen as being highly intelligent, very creative and socially akward and or eccentric.

The book "Brilliant, Not Broken" focuses on ND children (which "Differently Wired" estimates is now 30% of the population) and has numerous sections on ASD which it suggested was underdiagnosed.

Recommendation: Read "weak" as "different"

2011, p 133
"Yet the continued emphasis on the severely impaired in research initiatives, spending, and the media may be due, in part, to the mistaken belief that higher IQ equates with "milder" autism when, in fact, autism is autism. Although IQ may allow a child to compensate for his [or her] social communication deficits and thereby minimize the appearance of impairment, impairment still exists and affects functioning as well as quality of life. As Cash explains, 'higher intellect and ability to manipulate and thereby dilute some of their apparent autistic weaknesses and tendencies (e.g. weak social interactions and stereotyped body movements).' Asperger himself believed that the fundamental social, communication, and behavioral deficits of autism were just as severe in his patients, even as he recognized the positive effect that intelligence had upon their ability to function. As explained in The OASIS Guide to Asperger's Syndrome, 'Asperger Syndrome is a serious, lifelong disability that requires individualized expert intervention and should be treated as such. There is nothing 'mild' about the challenge people with Asperger's face.' In short, the ability to function is too frequently perceived as a sign of 'mild' autism, when it is more likely evidence of high IQ and verbal ability masking the severity of the autism. Yet IQ cannot take away the loneliness, isolation, and depression that so often results from so-called mild autism."

My non-verbal IQ is very high, but my verbal IQ is average (a personal disability). As I said, outwardly I appear "mild", but as I unmasked for myself, I realized I was at least moderate in many areas. Outwardly I am quite verbose, inwardly it's a struggle for me to talk (relative to my thoughts). Although I didn't share my suspicions with my assessor, the dr came to the same conclusion: "mild to moderate" ASD.

Since awareness (diagnosis), I have put many sensory supports in place. I have put some Executive Function supports in place. I'm a bit clueless how to put social supports in place. It's a start! I am hoping to have a more comfortable life going forward, relative to the hell of the past. Absolutely comfortable? No. Relatively comfortable? Yes. More comfortable with myself.

Sharon,

I'm the opposite, high verbal, average non-verbal (and a complete failure in tasks such as block design). Based on my scores, I was told that I wouldn't be able to perform most tasks others took for granted. It was demoralizing.

Do you find that that is so? B/c of your high verbal, expectations might be high in non-related areas and folks would be surprised if you needed time or help?

I had a friend who at age 13 was already over 6 feet tall and most everyone expected that he was a "man", but he was just a "boy" still --- it was hard for him that way.

I think that a key part of why the public might tend to conflate autism with intellectual disability is that clinically speaking autism is classified as being a pervasive developmental disorder , and people confuse this term with developmental disability , which is now the politically correct euphemism for what used to be called mental retardation .