Many of those on the autism spectrum don’t, whereas most of those with depression or high levels of anxiety do consider their condition to be a disorder.
As a high-functioning autist; I would love for there to be a higher representation of fellow HFA’s in the population. Our learning functions would still be different from the baseline population (as it currently exists) but… I feel the world would be a better place if HFAs represented as much as 10% of the population. Beyond that, I have uncertainty.
It seems to me that some of the “high-functioning” / “low-functioning” autism distinction has actually to do with the comorbidity of various other disorders and disabilities; as well as with the quality of schooling and other care. There seem to be a number of autistic folks whose lives are complicated by PTSD from bad psychiatric care, institutionalization, abusive schooling situations, etc. Presumably, if ASD were more common and better understood, these would be less likely.
As a high-functioning autist; I would love for there to be a higher representation of fellow HFA’s in the population. Our learning functions would still be different from the baseline population (as it currently exists) but… I feel the world would be a better place if HFAs represented as much as 10% of the population. Beyond that, I have uncertainty.
It seems to me that some of the “high-functioning” / “low-functioning” autism distinction has actually to do with the comorbidity of various other disorders and disabilities; as well as with the quality of schooling and other care. There seem to be a number of autistic folks whose lives are complicated by PTSD from bad psychiatric care, institutionalization, abusive schooling situations, etc. Presumably, if ASD were more common and better understood, these would be less likely.