5 Must-Know Facts About High Functioning Autism
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a tremendously complex developmental condition. Commonly, children with autism may experience restricted patterns of behaviour and impairments in social interactions and communication. It means they may find it difficult to interact with others and tend to exhibit repetitive behaviours.
For the longest time, only those with severe symptoms were diagnosed with autism. In the 1990s, however, milder forms of the condition have been recognised, including high functioning autism (HFA). In 2013, the American Psychiatric Association merged all these conditions into an umbrella term — autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
Does your child seem to fit into this category? Don’t worry, we’ll guide you through everything you need to know about high functioning autism.
High functioning autism is used to refer to people with mild ASD
Autism refers to individuals who struggle with relationships and social interactions. However, people with high functioning autism may possess some characteristics that others with ASD may not.
High functioning autism is not an official medical jargon or diagnosis. Rather, it is a term used to refer to people with mild ASD. Though having autism can be challenging no matter the severity of the condition, people with high functioning autism tend to thrive in everyday life. They can perform tasks like reading, writing, and completing daily activities independently and can communicate with other people.
Meanwhile, at the other end of the spectrum, individuals may be nonverbal, and assessing their learning capabilities and intelligence is challenging.
HFA symptoms are similar to common ASD symptoms (but milder)
People with high functioning autism may be more independent and verbal than those with autism but also have difficulty with social interaction and communication. Moreover, they find it hard to read social cues and might find it challenging to make friends.
In a nutshell, the symptoms may include:
Focus on routines. Children with high functioning autism may be obsessed with consistency and patterns. Routines may come in the form of strictly scheduled tasks, like brushing the teeth for precisely 2 minutes, eating the same meal every day, wearing the same outfit or using the same bag daily, or getting exactly 8 hours of sleep at night. They may even feel stressed when the schedule does not go as planned.
Unable to make friends or socialise. Like in children with autism, one symptom of high functioning autism is the inability to interact with their peers. However, a study has shown that social interaction is a problem faced by children in the spectrum in their daily lives, even those who are high functioning.
Exhibit emotional sensitivity. One of the most overlooked symptoms in people with high functioning autism is being sensitive to emotions. Though they function independently in their day-to-day life, they struggle to control their feelings (the same way non-autistic people often do, for that matter). For instance, a spilt glass of water, a stubbed toe, or things that don’t go as planned may cause emotional distress — affecting their concentration and mood throughout the day.
Sensitive to physical sensations. High functioning autistic people also experience sensory difficulties. They may react differently to loud noises, specific tastes, smells, or tactile feelings. When they are in noisy places, they may experience emotional distress. Some individuals may dislike specific clothing, texture, or even food.
Show repetitive or restrictive habits. People with high functioning autism may be obsessed about a topic, which can take over their thoughts most of the time. During conversations, they tend to talk about their favourite topic repeatedly.
Focus more on self. High functioning autistic individuals may find it hard to develop deep social relationships with others. They often spend a lot of time talking about themselves, their likes, their hobbies, and their favourite topics, not allowing another person to share a complete response.
Display attention to detail. HFA individuals have a keen eye for detail, pattern recognition, persistence, and intense focus, making these traits some of their strengths.
Find it hard to communicate. Though HFA individuals can communicate verbally and have no problems understanding language, they may find it challenging to understand sarcasm, idioms, or metaphors — also known as pragmatic language. Additionally, if they are faced with stress, they may struggle to speak.
HFA assessment uses the same tools as ASD
ASD may come in different forms, and high functioning autism may be hard to spot or diagnose. However, there are many tools healthcare professionals use to diagnose this type of autism. Remember, seeking professional help in your child’s assessment is essential. Here are commonly used tools to assess HFA.
Autism Spectrum Rating Scale (ASRS) – The ASRS utilises observational data from parents, guardians, and teachers to determine if a child meets the diagnostic criteria for ASD. Usually, health care practitioners use this tool between the ages of one and a half and 18 years old.
Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) – The ADI-R is a structured interview to assess ASD in children at 4 years old and above.
Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) – The ADOS is one of the most widely used autism assessment tools for autism, particularly assessing an individual’s social interactions and imaginative play. Though some sections of this tool are specifically designed for children, they can also be used to evaluate adults.
Assessment of Basic Language and Learning Skills (ABLLS) – The ABLLS assessment is designed to determine critical learner and language skills in those with autism. The tool aims to assess language skills using the verbal behaviour method. At the same time, it helps health practitioners evaluate children’s academic, self-help, language, and motor skills. From the assessment, they formulate personalised treatment interventions.
Verbal Behaviour Milestones Assessment and Placement Program (VB-MAPP) – The VB-MAPP is an autism screening tool to assess a child’s language and social skills. Further, the assessment tool gauges the child’s learning styles to develop an appropriate curriculum.
HFA symptoms usually fall under level 1 ASD classification
Children in the spectrum are classified into three levels: level 1, level 2, and level 3.
In level 1 ASD, people may have symptoms but don’t interfere too much with their daily lives. For example, they can go to school, work, and have relationships. This is what most people refer to as high functioning autism.
In level 2, people may need outside support daily, including social skills training and speech therapy. Meanwhile, people in level 3 include those who require daily external help, including intensive treatment and complete assistance. This level is also termed low-functioning autism.
The main difference between level 1 or high functioning autism and level 2 and level 3 autism usually boils down to their behaviour, based on the perspective of their parents or caregiver. Their symptoms may go unnoticed as HFA patients can communicate and may not show any sensory or motor impairment signs. On the other hand, people in levels 2 and 3 may struggle with verbal communication, sensory problems, and social interaction.
However, HFA individuals may still struggle with a lack of routine and forming and maintaining relationships and friendships. They may still require support and therapy for such challenges but can live independently.
ABA can also benefit children with HFA
There is a common misconception that Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) therapy will not help high functioning children. However, ABA strategies for behaviour management in these children give a varying level of a structure according to their needs.
In addition, a modified ABA program allows high functioning children to learn in a less structured format. Therefore, ABA therapy is essential and influential in this group of people to reach their full potential.
Therefore, ABA therapy is effective in all children across the spectrum. That makes sense since the key to ABA-based interventions is tailored for each person’s treatment.
The takeaway
It’s critical to keep in mind that high functioning autism is not a formal diagnosis. Instead, it’s better to refer to the levels of autism as a spectrum, where children have unique behavioural differences. No matter how well autistic individuals thrive and function, they deserve all the support they need.
ABA therapy and other supportive treatments help autistic children improve their self-care, communication, social, and play skills. Further, it helps children manage their behaviour while reducing bad habits such as inattention, screaming, and attention.
As such, ABA therapy can unlock a child’s total capacity to function and live independently in the future. If you are looking for a reliable ABA provider in Singapore, we’d like to invite you to learn about what we do by browsing our website. AutismSTEP provides personalised ABA therapy for children with varying needs. So you can help your child thrive and be capable of living a full life.
To help you make an informed decision on the type of therapy your child needs, please schedule a consultation with us today, or call +65 6456 9950.