High-functioning autism
Historical autism classification
High-functioning autism (HFA) was historically an autism classification to describe a person who exhibited no intellectual disability but otherwise showed autistic traits, such as differences in social interaction, communication, and sensory processing. The term was typically applied to verbal autistic people of at least average intelligence. However, many in medical and autistic communities have called to stop using the term, finding it simplistic and unindicative of the difficulties some autistic people face.
HFA has never been included in either the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) or the World Health Organization's International Classification of Diseases (ICD), the two major classification and diagnostic guidelines for psychiatric conditions. The DSM-5-TR subtypes autism into three levels based on support needs. Autism Level 1 has the least support needs and corresponds most closely with the "high-functioning" identifier.
01Characterization
The term "high-functioning autism" was used in a manner similar to Asperger syndrome, another outdated classification. The defining characteristic recognized by psychologists was a significant delay in the development of early speech and language skills, before the age of three years. The term Asperger syndrome typically excluded a general language delay. Other differences were noted in features of high-functioning autism and Asperger syndrome in a study of 112 children in Germany.
HFA is not a recognised diagnosis by the American Psychiatric Association or the World Health Organization; however, HFA was previously used in clinical settings to describe cases of autism spectrum disorder where indicators suggested an intelligence quotient (IQ) of 70 or greater.
Comorbidities
With the notable exception of intellectual disabilities, which were not part of HFA, comorbidities found in HFA populations reflected those found in autism. Between 40 and 55% of individuals with autism also have an intellectual disability. Studies that looked specifically at HFA have examined anxiety, bipolar disorder, Tourette syndrome, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Both HFA and OCD have abnormalities associated with serotonin.
Sources and credits
This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “High-functioning autism”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.
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