High Functioning Autism

High Functioning Autism

High Functioning Autism. What is it and how does it differ from other parts of the autism spectrum? First, I think it's important to know that high-functioning autism isn't an actual diagnosis. It's not in the DSM, nor is it an official medical term. But people use this term casually when they're talking about someone on the spectrum who can speak, write, and handle basic life tasks and they're often able to live on their own.

People who fall into this portion of the spectrum often live lives just like anyone else.

They're even said to be higher functioning cognitively than others who are on the spectrum.

What I found out is that since the 1990s medical and mental health professionals have been recognizing milder forms of autism. Before this, only the most severe cases were diagnosed and treated. So this is when Asperger's became a more well-known diagnosis as a whole. People realized that there was a spectrum to autism

and that's why in 2013 they grouped all these diagnoses into one, calling them all autism spectrum disorders. You may still hear people using outdated terms like Asperger but that's most likely because they either haven't kept up with the many changes to treatment or they're referring to someone who was diagnosed before 2013.

Now, let's jump into the symptoms of high-functioning autism. Just like anyone on the autism spectrum, high-functioning people can still struggle with communication,  making eye contact, and socially interacting overall. Since interacting with others can be so difficult, those who are high functioning often report feeling anxious before a social gathering and being wiped out afterward because it just takes so much energy

to engage with others. There's a large difference between women and men when it comes to presented symptoms, but don't worry that information will be saved for another blog. They find that anxiety, OCD, bipolar disorder, and depression are the most common comorbidities with high-functioning autism.

What comorbidities mean is that they happen together at the same time. Research also shows that OCD and high-functioning autism commonly occur together, because they are both affected by abnormalities In a person's serotonin production.

Pretty interesting, right? Based on that information, we can conclude that all comorbidities can be caused and affected by serotonin changes. I also believe that because people with high-functioning autism are more aware of their differences from others, they could feel anxious about interacting with people or even extremely depressed about their struggle to connect. Sometimes having insight

and awareness of our conditions can be hard to handle and it could lead to other mental health issues.

People with high-functioning autism may also struggle to understand jokes or sarcasm from their peers. Therefore, they can appear more mature for their age

but they're just uncomfortable in social situations as a whole and don't understand what's going on. They can even have delayed initial speech but later develop functional communication. They can also have obsessive actions regarding appearance, cleanliness, fears, and social situations and also shortened attention spans.

Most high-functioning people with ASD will still find comfort in routine and order. Their rituals or restricted habits may seem odd to those around them but having it can help them better manage any anxious feelings or sensory overload that they may be experiencing. Therefore, they're prone to tantrums, or meltdowns when they're overly tired or stimulated or they can't go through their routine. We still don't know the actual cause of autism spectrum disorders but research shows that those with ASD do have abnormalities in the social regions of the brain. These regions include things like the amygdala. If you remember Alexa and I talked about this,

she called it the fire alarm. It's responsible, just so you know, for emotions, survival, and memory, but they also find there are abnormalities in the orbital frontal cortex,

which is responsible for cognitive processing and decision-making.

These two areas would explain why those with ASD struggle so much socially can be easily overwhelmed and have a hard time regulating their emotions. If our amygdala is firing all the time, it can be really hard for us to calm down, to soothe ourselves. I mean, just think about it for a second. Luckily there is so much that we can do to better manage our ASD so let's get into some treatment options

because I think it's important that we talk about and understand that ASD isn't something people grow out of, nor is it something that needs to be cured. High-functioning people struggle the most to get the care that they need because many don't understand that there is an entire spectrum associated with autism disorders,

they say things like, well your child or you, don't look autistic or you know, like you have any special needs. It can make it even more difficult for people to get the care that they need, especially when proper care can allow you or your child to get the tools and strategies needed to succeed. Finding ways to make our unique view of the world work for us instead of against us can be so helpful and empowering.

One of the first options for treatment is occupational therapy. An occupational therapist is there to help develop skills, such as handwriting or fine motor skills, and activities of daily living. The second type of therapy they talk a lot about is speech therapy. Now a speech therapist can help your child or yourself learn spoken language and or non-verbal communication skills because we know it can be really difficult as someone on the spectrum to fully understand different unsaid signals

people are sending out. So we must work with someone who can help us better understand and manage. The next treatment option is ABA therapy or applied behavior analysis. Now this focuses on techniques that help guide learning and bring out meaningful and positive change in behavior.

So it's very behavior-focused. Some people feel this type of therapy is too intense, and it can be traumatizing for children because we're forcing them to be normal instead of celebrating their cognitive differences, but it is a highly research-based form of therapy. Especially for those on the spectrum, it's been shown to work miracles for them, so don't completely rule it out until you fully understand how it works, and see if it's the right choice for you or your child. The next treatment option is social skill classes.

Now, social skill classes offer an opportunity for kids with autism to practice social skills with each other regularly. So all that stuff they might be learning in therapy

or trying to do at home, this gives them an actual guided place to practice it all.

So that they can see what works and what doesn't and help them go from there.

The next option is psychotherapy, which is essentially what I do. Psychotherapy uses a variety of techniques as you know, to help children who experience anxiety,

depression, OCD, or other psychiatric systems that can cause problems for the autistic child. So a lot of those comorbid issues I talked about before can be addressed in therapy with a licensed mental health professional. This could also include seeing a psychiatrist if medication is something that can benefit you

or your child. The next treatment option is floortime therapy. Floortime activities derive from the idea that we as parents can help our children by meeting them at their level to expand their circles of communication so we're kind of meeting them where they're at. Playing the way that they want to play and they find that floortime can be beneficial.

The next treatment option, like I said there were so many which is wonderful that we have tons of options to choose from, but this next one is called RDI therapy, and that stands for relationship development intervention therapy. It's a family-based behavioral treatment designed to address autism's core symptoms by appreciating all perspectives, coping with change, and integrating information from multiple sources such as light and sound. When I was reading about this it helps us or our child, whoever is on the spectrum, better manage some of the overwhelm that can come along with being in a loud restaurant, music going, people talking to us, and being at parties, it kind of helps us better prepare for that and we can practice it in that therapy. The next therapy option is PEC therapy, which stands for picture exchange communication. This is used with nonverbal autistic children to help them learn to communicate without words, so then they can make choices and communicate their needs and overall minimize their behavior so they can be much happier children. Another treatment option is aquatic therapy. Using swimming as their therapy can increase the effectiveness of all other forms of treatment by learning better balance, communication skills, dealing with sensory issues, and oral motor skills. Some people also report that equine therapy is a great option for ASD children. It helps them focus, transition more easily from task to task, and socialize more easily.

Overall just know that there are many, many treatment options available, so finding the one that's best for you or your child is what is most important. We know that while some treatments have more research backing them, if it's not working it's okay to try something else. As with any diagnosis, everyone is gonna be different. Some people with high-functioning autism can hold jobs and have healthy relationships,

while others just cannot. Some may do well in school while others will struggle.

So before jumping to any conclusions, make sure you listen and understand what the experience is like for that person.