What is High Functioning Autism? | Kati Morton

I'm Kati Morton, a licensed therapist making Mental Health videos!
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[blueify]

Well done!!! I held my breath for a moment before watching this... I thought "finally!" then I prepared myself for another video of misunderstood opinions stated like facts. My daughter has Level 2 Autism (PDD prior to 2013) which sometimes is seen as high functioning autism, but she has cognitive development disabilities as well. Your info was spot on. Thank you for not being careless when you have a platform to educate.

[barborahalova]

"they might seem mature for their age, but they are really just uncomfortable..." Is such a ruthlessly accurate statement ...

[shiny-collector-silver]

As someone who has high functioning autism, i can confirm i get anxious when I'm at social gatherings. I feel like everyone is judging me and when people look at me and then go back to talking with others, i feel like they're talking about how horrible i look or about how shy i am. That's why i love being alone, because nobody can judge anything i do and my cats understand what i say and it feels like they're listening.

[ashleyshoemyer]

my husband has high functioning autism. i love him so much, he is the absolute sweetest person ive ever met.

[bunnyhunny]

One thing I hate is people who associate autism with stupidity. Just because some need different coping skills and methods to help make their lives easier does not mean they're stupid. I have ASD as well and I also have a friend who is on the spectrum a little more than I am. But she's so sweet and so smart and passionate about her interests. She just gets nervous when she has to make decisions or trying to start a conversation. She does have a bit of trouble fully pronouncing some words, but she truly is an amazing person. And I'm so glad I met her.

[Holobrine]

I have ASD and I’ve found it’s easier to communicate with others on the spectrum than neurotypical people. So it seems it’s not that we don’t communicate well, it’s that we communicate differently.

[sirdime]

Never been one to self diagnose. But...I cried watching this and seeing my life described before me. Just saying.

[HiitSquadTv]

I was diagnosed as an adult . Just knowing why I was so different made a huge difference in my life.

[craigdaubbeats-rapinstrume]

I think the hardest part about being an adult with high functioning autism is being able to make a living. It's so frustrating trying to find work that we can handle, especially if you're the type of person that has extreme social anxiety. The only job really that I've ever been able to hold is dishwashing jobs, and even those are hard for me depending on the place. I have to be somewhere where I'm all but by myself the whole time, and I can't carry dishes to the kitchen for the cooks because I can't bring myself to give verbal warnings when I'm behind people. That and cooks and servers tend to be on edge if it's a busy restaurant. And everyone just seems to think you can get over it and act normal. People really don't realize that it's not that simple for us.

[IanCullen]

Speaking as someone on the Autism Spectrum. I've always thought of High Functioning Autism as a label assigned to those of us who are able to hide our day to day struggles from others with a view to trying to fit in.

[MrMyst]

*NO! MELTDOWNS ARENT TANTRUMS!* THEY ARE VERY SIMILAR TO PANIC ATTACKS.
Parents, if your autistic child is having a meltdown do not punish them for it. Refer to these tips that will help.

TIPS:
- Don’t touch them.
- Don’t yell at them.
- Take them to a quiet room if possible.
- If they are unable to move, politely ask, and if they want it then give them their noise cancelling headphones.
- If your child likes weighted blankets, politely ask, if they want it then put it on their lap.
- Allow them to stim if they are doing it, loud hands help them calm down.
- Again, don’t touch or yell at them, they are overloaded and extra stimulation will make them feel worse.
- Give them their comfort item.
- Remember that they cannot control this.
- Reassure that they are going to be alright.
- Don’t try to get a verbal response out of them, they don’t want to speak right now.
- Optional: Make them their favorite food or same-food when it’s over. Though sometimes they may lose their appetite from the meltdown. *It is always safe to ask.*

[pumpkinface]

I was labeled a shy child in my youth and now an introvert into adulthood. As a child I would routinely pretend I was sick to get out of school because of the terror I felt being surrounded by other students, which in retrospect shows my ability to adapt to change was something foreign to me. I always felt comfortable at home, in my surroundings, a safe haven where I was familiarized with everything and without change. After all change was scary even with no initial threat for some reason. I knew since I was a child that something was different about me and went far beyond what you label as just traditionally "shy". Part of me believes that my parents were in denial that there was something wrong but how I would adapt to change, my inability to connect with others, and my unwillingness to put myself in any social situations or activities gave me insight into that I may just be a high functioning autistic. I've never been professionally diagnosed to this day but I know I am.... I still find myself withdrawn from social events or parties, my inability to communicate with others while stumbling on my words, severe anxiety when put in crowded areas, upset with sudden change from routine, and an inability to make eye contact when communicating with others. At one point I relied on alcohol to help cope with these feelings, as we all know alcohol lowers your inhibitions and with that could help bring some sort of "normality" within my life. I would communicate better, I could make eye contact while conversing, I felt confident, my anxiety was gone, and I wouldn't question the things that terrified me so much. Of course this all ended up being a temporary crutch that lead me down a deeper rabbit hole of dependency, health problems, and an enhanced feeling of my autistic tendencies when I was hungover only to delve right back into drinking again. I now have acceptance and an understanding for who I am now. I stopped drinking and have decided to force myself to get out there to try and overcome some of these more debilitating feelings I have as a form of therapy. Everyday is a struggle but I've noticed that even with some of the baby steps I've taken over the past couple years that I do have the ability to make things more bearable to where I can achieve a new level of happiness while feeling a form of achievement all with a sober mind. Keep fighting the good fight for those who struggle the same as I.

[brittneyhoffman]

There should be social skill classes for adults with autism too

[luguidubiela]

my problem with autism is that everybody talks about it as if there is ONLY children in the spectrum. Edit: Not necessarily this case. I'm just a bit bitter LOL

[covert_warrior]

I'm grateful for this video. I'm 41 and last week was diagnosed with adhd and she mentioned high functioning autism. It was actually a breath of fresh air. Life makes so much more sense now. I always knew I was different just didn't know why.

[ightdreamer]

I was recently diagnosed with autism/Asperger's and when my mom told me about it I was shocked yet relieved because it explains everything I've been through and the events that happened in my life.

[Daniel-jlfb]

You have hit the nail right on the head with this at timecode 3:10... I have found it so hard and demoralizing being in a situation where I'm not severe enough to warrant treatment but not being normal either. I feel like I live in a bubble, I can see what's going on and interact with people but at the same time I feel so isolated and and detached from people. So thank you so much for saying it, its like somebody finally understands.

[ASLAnissaOfficial]

I also worked with a women who was commonly referred to as “high functioning” and it lead to a lot of miscommunication. Because of how well spoken she is, people commonly overlooked her diagnosis and didn’t realize how much she misunderstood emotional dialog and metaphoric phrases. It lead to a lot of misunderstanding and unnecessary conflicts.

[tayroarz]

You literally explained my whole existence in 10 minutes.

[extraterrestrialpenguin]

I am Autistic, “high-functioning” and 19. I’ve known for 5 years. You’ll probably never see this. but I just want to express how beautifully well done I find this video to be. Almost everything hit the nail on the head and even helped me to understand why I do some of the things I do.
My little sister is unaware I have ASD (I’ve been putting off telling her 😬). I have been trying to figure out how to explain my situation in a way that helps her understand I’m not “disabled” or “slow” or any other connotations/misconceptions she might get from hearing my diagnosis. I think this video might just be it. Thank you! ❤