High-functioning autism is a condition where individuals display definitive signs of autism but can engage in normal behavior in most areas of their lives. Symptoms vary greatly, but common behaviors include self-centeredness, extreme shyness, and obsessive-compulsive tendencies. It is often diagnosed at an early age, but some individuals may go their entire lives without realizing they have the condition. It is thought to be similar to Asperger’s syndrome, and doctors are currently determining if they are the same disorder.
High-functioning autism is not a clearly defined medical condition. It is used to describe people with definitive signs of autism, but not in the usual sense. If the degrees of autism were scaled on a basis of one to 10, high functioning autism would likely be at the higher end of the scale. They may be able to engage in normal behavior in nearly every area of their lives, with the exception of some behavioral abnormalities.
For example, they may not be able to show appropriate social responses, maintain eye contact, or hold conversations. On balance, they may often attend regular classes, do household chores, have children, and otherwise behave normally. People with autism, including those who are high functioning, can have a broad spectrum of symptoms and it generally varies greatly from one individual to another.
Some of the more common behaviors associated with high functioning autism include self-centered behavior, extreme shyness, obsessive compulsive tendencies, and what many would simply call distraction. The high functioning autistic sometimes gets lost in his own world and becomes oblivious to the world around him. He may not respond when spoken to because he is so absorbed in what he is thinking. It is very difficult for these individuals to function on more than one level at a time. Their ability to so successfully channel themselves into a focused task has made some researchers believe that autism might be a form of genius — some people even think that German physicist Albert Einstein was a high-functioning autistic.
People with high-functioning autism are typically diagnosed at an early age or shortly after entering school. Some individuals, however, can go their entire lives unaware that they have this condition. The symptoms are so borderline that the person is often simply labeled weird or eccentric. As children, their parents may not recognize that they are anything other than just unusual and may never bring any of the odd behaviors to a doctor’s attention.
Some experts think that high-functioning autism is the same disorder as Asperger’s syndrome. Unlike the typical developmental problems associated with autism, people with Asperger’s do not seem to have problems with developing language or communicating their intelligence. They do not require constant supervision or care. As with people diagnosed with high functioning autism, people with Asperger’s have average to above average intelligence. The two conditions are thought to be so similar that doctors are currently trying to determine whether high-functioning autism and Asperger’s syndrome are, in fact, the same disorder.
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