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Concept
High-functioning autism
Summary
High-functioning autism (HFA) was historically an autism classification where a person exhibits no intellectual disability, but may exhibit deficits in communication, emotion recognition and expression, and social interaction.
HFA has never been included in either the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) or the World Health Organization's International Classification of Diseases (ICD), the two major classification and diagnostic guidelines for psychiatric conditions.
High-functioning autism is characterized by features similar to those of Asperger syndrome. The defining characteristic recognized by psychologists is a significant delay in the development of early speech and language skills, before the age of three years. The diagnostic criteria of Asperger syndrome exclude a general language delay.
Further differences in features of people with high-functioning autism from those with Asperger syndrome include the following:
Lower verbal reasoning ability
Better visual/spatial skills (Being uniquely artistically talented)
Less deviating locomotion (e.g. clumsiness)
Problems functioning independently
Curiosity and interest for many different things
Not as good at empathizing with other people
Male to female ratio (4:1) much smaller
Individuals with autism spectrum disorders, including high-functioning autism, risk developing symptoms of anxiety. While anxiety is one of the most commonly occurring mental health symptoms, children and adolescents with high functioning autism are at an even greater risk of developing symptoms.
There are other comorbidities, the presence of one or more disorders in addition to the primary disorder, associated with high-functioning autism. Some of these include bipolar disorder and obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD). In particular the link between HFA and OCD, has been studied; both have abnormalities associated with serotonin.
Observable comorbidities associated with HFA include ADHD and Tourette syndrome. HFA does not cause, nor include, intellectual disabilities.
Official source
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