Different Types Of Autism

Autism? Aspergers? High Functioning?

But what do they all mean?! And what words should we be using to describe autism?

Find all the answers below.

What does it mean?

High Functioning Autism

This term was used to describe autistic people who were considered to have lower support needs. It would also describe people who had a typical to higher IQ, and those that didn't have any delay in language skills.

However this term is now not often used, and never diagnosed. The autistic community feel that the term is disrespectful and not representative of the people it describes, not least because it is often a non-autistic person diagnosing and making a judgement about an autistic persons support needs.

Aspergers Syndrome

The term is often synonymous with high functioning autism, and describes a person with lower support needs and higher IQ. Think Rain Man and this is what Aspergers is meant to represent.

Not only is this term not part of our diagnostic manual anymore (called the DSM-V) but Hans Aspergers (who fist coined the term Aspergers) has a bit of a shady past where he was now believed to be associated with Nazi sympathisers! Not sure many people want to be associated with this....!

Classic autism

Level 1, 2, 3 autism

The DSM-V diagnostic criteria allows a diagnosing team to add a level of autism to the diagnosis. This is meant to represent the level of support needs that individual is likely to have.

However, the autistic community do not like this term due to its perception and judgement of stable support needs. A person support needs change over time, situation, and context and therefore defining a global level of support needs can seem nonsensical.

At Every Mind, we don't use Levels but we do define in depth what a persons support needs would be in different situations and recommendations for how to help a person thrive.

Find out more about assessments

Autism Spectrum

Autism describes a variety of different labels and differences. Whereas there once was 'Aspergers' and High Functioning Autism, these now fall within the label of Autism. Therefore, within the diagnostic term Autism, there are a range of differences and 'presentations'.

Autism is not linear, with differences falling somewhere along this line. Instead, we now understand autism to represent many difference within the realms of executive function, social communication, sensory processing, that is better represented to the visual to the right.

Colorful sound waves oscillating glow light isolated on black background

Preferred language

The autistic community prefers identity first language as they see autism as an integral part of who they are. Therefore, we adopt this language in the clinic and say 'autistic person' rather than 'person with autism'. However there is no wrong or right; it is personal preference.

As we have described, the term autism represents a whole spectrum of difference which varies from person to person. It is essential that we don't use the term of autism and treat the person as a 'diagnosis' or make judgements about who they are and what their needs are. We need to take time to understand what autism means to them, and how this manifests in their unique strengths and needs.

Autism is not a puzzle to be solved, or a problem to be fixed. It is a brain difference fundamentally, and one that should not be hidden or disguised.

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