VIDEO CONFERENCE: What does Very High Functioning Autism Mean?

An International Support Group facilitated by Dr. Marshack. This Video Conference is only for members of Meetup. Click here for membership details and to register for this call.

TOPIC: VIDEO CONFERENCE: What does Very High Functioning Autism Mean?

WHEN: Wednesday, September 15th, 12pm PT

Register: here.

Nine times out of ten our members report that their adult “Aspies” are “very high functioning Asperger’s.” Or they worry that “my partner has only traits of ASD” so may not be diagnosable. Or they ask for help determining “where” on the Spectrum their “Aspie” may be.

First, in order to be diagnosed with “Asperger Syndrome,” the autistic person has to be identified as “high functioning” already. There is no such thing as “high functioning Asperger’s.”

Second, now that we have dropped the diagnosis of “Asperger Syndrome” from the definition of autism, it has been replaced by “high functioning autism” on the Autism Spectrum Disorder spectrum.

Let’s meet to clear up this mystery. If you suspect your partner has ASD, even if you think they can fool everyone but you, they still may have autism. The high functioning part merely refers to the ability of many autistic people to manage life well enough, such as marriage and career accomplishments. It doesn’t mean they have empathy.

Empathy is the clincher. Without a theory of mind, and with context blindness, even the most talented “Aspie” is no more high functioning than an autistic further left on the Spectrum.

When you get that they view the world differently because they have no empathy, it makes it easier to plan around their disability.

If you have technical questions about using MeetUp, check our Guide to MeetUp here: https://asd-ntrelationships.com/guide-to-meetup/
We have over 10 years of questions from members answered in here.

You will be able to see the Zoom link for this conference on the event page after you pay the event fee. The fee is $18.95. After you register to attend, please click the Zoom link and join at the time of the video conference.