Are you high or low functioning? Examples from autism research

This study features two measures of intelligence, one verbal (British Picture Vocabulary Scale, a verbal IQ equivalent) and one non-verbal (a subtest from the British Ability Scales).One result is that you can have a verbal IQ of 62 and be classified as high-functioning, and a verbal IQ of 111 and be classified as low-functioning.The non-verbal measure is reported in age-equivalents only, but the two autistic groups are remarkably well-matched on age. And the mean non-verbal age equivalents are both (1) the same for the two autistic groups, and (2) very nearly the same as mean chronological age, again for the two autistic groups.In other words, another result is that both high- and low-functioning autistics here represent groups whose mean measured non-verbal intelligence is the same as the general population mean, and of course vice-versa. Setting aside possible differences in distribution, now everyone is both high- and low-functioning.Conditional examples 5 and 6This is a bit of a digression, but if you adhere to the common political or ideological prejudice that " Kanner ' s autism " is " classical autism " is " low-functioning autism " you are then required to achieve an IQ of over 140 (from Kanner ' s original 11) or 150 (from Kanner ' s 1956 follow-up) to be ranked as high-functioning. That means you have to be better than the 99th percentile.Now what?The above doesn ' t nearly convey the arbitrariness in the existing autism literature. As I wrote, I ' ve provided just...
Source: The Autism Crisis - Category: Child Development Source Type: blogs