People with highly functional autism, what are they like?

A little over a decade ago, Anthony Hopkins received a diagnosis that didn’t surprise him too much: Asperger’s syndrome. Being on the autism spectrum, or more specifically being one of those people with highly functioning autism, was, to take his own words, an advantage. The reason? She has an impeccable memory and loves to describe the characters she plays.

We could name many more famous people with -or suspicions of- autism spectrum disorder, such as Albert Einstein, Tim Burton, Bill Gates, Steven Spielberg, etc.. Now, having these personalities as a reference, who sometimes border on genius in their work, we might think that having this type of highly functional autism is almost a blessing or stroke of fortune.

However, we cannot be carried away by appearances. Many of these people stand out in each of their skills, whether artistic, technical or scientific. However, At a social level and, above all, at an emotional level, they frequently present great limitations.. Difficulties that in turn are a source of limitations or social mistakes.

Anthony Hopkins admits that, during a good period of his life, he had to dealing with anger and the clear difficulty in connecting with people. There are his past problems with alcoholism. Nowadays, and thanks to painting and music, he finds that channel with which to harmonize his emotional universe.

Characteristics of people with highly functional autism

People with high-functioning autism receive their diagnosis, on average, already in adulthood. The fact that this is so is basically due to the fact that they usually have a fairly high intelligence that allows them to overcome difficulties.

Howeverfamilies and the social environment do tend to perceive certain limitations. However, these deficiencies are attributed more to the personality factor and it is rarely suspected that autism spectrum disorder is behind certain behaviors. However, let’s look at what people with highly functional autism tend to be like.

Greater verbal reasoning ability

We pointed out previously, people with functional autism They express themselves, speak, reason and communicate effectively and skillfully.

Good spatial skills

As a notable feature, what stands out is not only his higher than average IQ, but also his good skills in spatial intelligence. This translates into ability to imagine, visualize and distinguish between different two- or three-dimensional objectsas well as to transform concepts, modify and manipulate data and objects, etc.

very curious people

Highly functional people are very curious and show different interests early on. Many focus on very specific areas, with which they will become “obsessed” in many cases. They seek information, ask questions, investigate and dedicate much of their time to that particular interest.

Social limitations

Although they demonstrate different intellectual competencies, there is something that usually defines these people: the limitation in sociability.. They are not good at reading social situations, so they often feel lost in them.

They have a hard time connecting with other people, and many of them avoid eye contact. They feel that they are different, which leads them to prefer solitude. In interactions, they tend to enjoy debates and not so much relaxed conversations, where double meanings can prevail.

Anxiety problems

Unfortunately, Many children with functional autism end up being considered hyperactive. They are those restless children who touch everything, who ask constant questions, who get bored frequently… Thus, studies such as those carried out at the University of Nottingham in the United Kingdom, by Dr. Alinda Gilliot, show us something remarkable. .

People with high-functioning autism often present with anxiety problems and even obsessive-compulsive disorders. In addition, They had greater difficulty managing their emotions.

The person with functional autism and oxytocin

As in most neurological conditions, the autism spectrum is a complex combination of characteristics that generates a different way of approaching reality. For a start, There will be people with more severe autism where effective communication does not even occur..

In other cases, Asperger syndrome can occur in its highest form, such as savant syndrome.; a type of disorder where, although physical, mental or motor disabilities may appear, an exceptional ability emerges for something specific: drawing, mathematics, physics…

Now, what about highly functional autism? Many define it as mild autism, others as Asperger syndrome.. And although this category does not appear officially in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V) is an undeniable reality.

There are many people who reach adulthood and encounter the label later, at which point they understand the reason for their limitations/problems in social and emotional matters. As a curiosity, It should be noted that in recent years interesting therapeutic research has been carried out on the subject.

Thus, the National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, United States, has discovered that Oxytocin notably improves the social behavior of people with highly functional autism. Therefore, it is a relevant piece of information that we will be aware of.

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