The Limits of the “Spectrum”

Most of us think we know what the spectrum is — but do we know its limitations? Here are a few common misconceptions.

1. “High-Functioning” Autism — also called “mild” Autism, a term used to describe individuals with strong speaking abilities.
2. “Low-Functioning” Autism — commonly called “severe” Autism, referring to individuals with limited vocal communication.
3. The Autism “Mask” — many individuals learn to mask to hide Autism, but there is a cognitive tax to the practice. Consider the effort of rolling a wheelchair, using crutches, or speaking multiple languages in one workday — the cognitive and physical load adds up quickly.

What's the consequence?

Much like a single price mislabel can cause an entire product line to be discarded, mislabeling someone's Autism can cause real harm. “High functioning” may miss crucial emotional regulation, social, or organizational skills that are necessary for the challenges of adulthood. The label “low functioning” risks papering over cognitive strengths like persistence, visual thinking, and emotional resilience that would benefit an entire educational ecosystem.

The gender difference

Research indicates women are less likely to be diagnosed with Autism, and consequently less likely to receive support services in education or the workplace. Women with ASD are more likely to experience loneliness, bullying, anxiety, and depression in college. In one study, 38.9% of female students with ASD were very dissatisfied with their university experience, compared with 18.2% of males — likely associated with reduced access to support services.

Stats for nerds

In a national survey of young adults with disabilities, 79.5% of respondents were seeking a diploma, certificate, or license — but only about 40% of the respondents with autism had completed college.^† Only 25% of employed people with autism were slated to receive retirement benefits, and autistic people were the least likely of all disability categories to marry or have children.

^† The 79.5% figure describes the full survey sample of young adults with disabilities (n ≈ 4,800); the autism-specific figures are weighted estimates within that sample.

Newman, L., Wagner, M., Knokey, A.-M., et al. (2011). The Post-High School Outcomes of Young Adults With Disabilities up to 8 Years After High School (NLTS2, NCSER 2011-3005). Menlo Park, CA: SRI International.