Auntie and others: Question about ASD terms: High functioning, low functioning, mild, severe, etc et

Deborah621

What does it all mean in terms of an ASD diagnosis? Is it too early to tell where my 2 1/2 year old will fall on the spectrum?

 

 ETA: Will it change as therapy helps him learn new skills that he struggles with now or will it always remain the same?

lite-bright

My DD1 is considered high-functioning because her IQ is in the normal range (not quite average, but close from her eval at age 3) and because her self-care skills (potty training, getting dressed/undressed, using utensils, teeth brushing, etc.) are age-appropriate. She's also very verbal, though repetitive/scripted and somewhat delayed. Her deficits are mainly social/expressive/creative.

They are not clinical terms, so it's not like you get a diagnosis of "high-functioning autism" or "severe autism". You just get the dx of autism. It seems like they get tossed around a lot and mean different things to different people. 

 

 

CrazeyJaneyR

I think you're asking the same thing I wonder about every day. How "bad" does my kid have autism?  

I think it is too young to tell. My guys will be 2, and their therapists tell me that there is no way to tell what the outcome will be like when they are older. They just tell me that they have a lot of potential.

It's so hard not to "go there" and think of the worst case scenario. It's also hard to not know the future and to have to wait it out while trying to enjoy them. 

 

CrazeyJaneyR

that's why it's in quotes. Who knows what it means.