I don’t get why people want to separate us at all.
Functioning labels have done nothing but silence us.Functioning labels are used to say those who are “severe” autistic can’t speak for themselves and don’t have a say. They are often infentalized and dehumanized.
“High functioning” autistics are said to be “too allistic to speak for autistics” and are invalidated.
And who are people to decide if someone else are “functioning” or not.
I’m really sick of people assuming I am high functioning and barely autistic just because I can talk. I have to get professional help to get a job, and will be on disability, and eventually moved into a group home.
I have difficulties communicating verbally because of processing difficulties and a speech impediment that makes it hard to pronounce stuff.
I struggle with sensory overloads through out the day, can’t drive, and can barely cook for myself because of executive dysfunction, yet people still assume I am “not that autistic” and “high functioning” which had never helped me.
If anything, it let’s people deny me accommodations I need.
Usually people try saying I am “middle functioning”. Once, someone called me l"ow functioning" while ignoring me even though I had my emergency chat app open and ready to use while non verbal.
Autism is not a scale from very autistic to allistic. Its a spectrum. Its a giant color wheel where each autistic exists on multiple plains and are constantly fluctuating.
Every autistic has a varied amount of traits. Like every one of us having our own bucket and autistic traits were randomly thrown into it.
One autistic could be verbal all the time but have really bad executive functioning or really bad processing. Another may be non verbal with sensory seeking behaviors, processing issues, etc.
Functioning labels do not tell anyone what traits we have and what we need help with.
I’m rambling at this point, but to summarize.
How has functioning labels helped us?
We are autistic. We all have different needs, different experiences, and functioning labels don’t summarize that, and have been used to shut us down.
~admincam
Outside of being silenced, which is pretty bad, I personally don’t understand why someone who can’t do anything at all without help can’t be separated from someone who still needs accommodations but still can do some things by themselves. There is a difference in function levels in autistics. It’s a fact.
If they weren’t used to silence, would they be bad? I find it hard to believe that they would.
What would that even accomplish exactly? I don’t see how categorizing us in groups based off of what others see us as being, functioning wise, is beneficial.
I am trying to think of a pro that could come of it, but can’t really think of any.
If it wasn’t used to deny people things, it has some merit. Because as I’ve already said, different autistics have different abilities to function on their own. Not based on the accommodations that they need, their ability to function on their own, in terms of reaching basic needs.
It shouldn’t be used in terms of, “this person’s smart” and “this person needs individual education” in terms of functioning labels, but… I don’t know how to say this sensitively, I’m sorry, but like- reaching basic human needs. Not in terms of sensory or processing accommodations.
Am I making sense?
ifesbob 