High-functioning autism (HFA) is a term used to describe individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who can speak, read, write, and handle basic life skills like eating and getting dressed. It is not an official medical term or diagnosis, but rather an informal one used by some people when talking about individuals with ASD who exhibit no intellectual disability. People with HFA may experience difficulty in communication, emotion recognition, expression, and social interaction. They may have a hard time with social interaction and communication, and they don’t naturally read social cues and might find it difficult to make friends. They can get so stressed by a social situation that they shut down, and they don’t make much eye contact or small talk. People with HFA may also have repetitive and restrictive habits that seem odd to others.
It is important to note that many medical professionals, autistic people, and supporters of autistic rights disagree with the categorization of individuals into "high-functioning autism" and "low-functioning autism". They argue that the "low-functioning" label causes people to put low expectations on a child and view them as lesser. Furthermore, critics of functioning labels state that an individuals functioning can fluctuate from day to day, and categories do not take this into consideration.
While not an official medical diagnosis, the term “high functioning autism” refers to a pattern of disordered traits and behavior consistent with a diagnosis of autism but still allows the individual to function relatively well in society. People with HFA may have developed a series of coping mechanisms and compensatory strategies over time that help to “mask” the signs of autism, which can make it more difficult to determine autism severity.
In summary, high-functioning autism is a term used to describe individuals with autism spectrum disorder who can speak, read, write, and handle basic life skills like eating and getting dressed. They may experience difficulty in communication, emotion recognition, expression, and social interaction, and they may have repetitive and restrictive habits that seem odd to others. However, it is important to note that many medical professionals and autistic people disagree with the categorization of individuals into "high-functioning autism" and "low-functioning autism."
