(soft music)
- Hey everyone, today we're gonna talk about
high functioning autism.
What is it
and how does it differ from other parts
of the autism spectrum?
But before we jump into that,
are you new to my channel?
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But let's jump in to today's topic.
First, I think it's important to know
that high functioning autism isn't an actual diagnosis.
It's not in the DSM,
nor is it an official medical term.
But people use this term casually
when they're talking about someone on the spectrum
who can speak, write
and handle basic life tasks
and they're often able to live on their own.
People who fall into this portion of the spectrum
often live lives just like anyone else.
They're even said to be higher functioning cognitively
than others who are on the spectrum.
But I also want you all to know
that I am not a specialist,
nor do I pretend to have all the answers
when it comes to autism spectrum disorders as a whole.
What I did was, I reached out to some colleagues of mine
who graciously shared their tips
and their own expertise
and I also read many, many studies and parenting blogs.
So gives me kind of an overall idea
of how people talk about it,
how they treat it,
and what we need to know.
What I found out is that since the 1990s
medical and mental health professionals
have been recognizing milder forms of autism.
Prior to this only the most severe cases
were diagnosed and treated.
So this is when Asperger's became a more well known
diagnosis as a whole.
People realized that there was a spectrum to autism
and that's why in 2013 they grouped
all these diagnosis into one,
calling them all autism spectrum disorders.
You may still hear people using outdated terms
like Asperger but that's most likely
because they either haven't kept up
with the many changes to treatment
or they're referring to someone
who was diagnosed prior to 2013.
Now, let's jump into the symptoms
of high functioning autism.
Just like anyone on the autism spectrum,
high functioning people can still struggle
with communication, making eye contact,
and socially interacting overall.
Since interacting with others can be so difficult,
those who are high functioning often report
feeling really anxious prior to a social gathering,
and being wiped out afterwards
because it just takes so much energy
to engage with others.
There's a large difference between women
and men when it comes to presented symptoms,
but don't worry that information
will be saved for another video.
They find that anxiety, OCD, bipolar disorder
and depression are the most common comorbidities
with high functioning autism.
What comorbidities means is that they happen
together at the same time.
Research also shows that OCD
and high functioning autism commonly occur together,
because they are both affected by abnormalities
in a person's serotonin production.
Pretty interesting, right?
Based on that information,
we can conclude that all comorbidities
can be caused and affected by serotonin changes.
I also believe that because people
with high functioning autism are more aware
of their differences from others,
they could feel really anxious
about interacting with people
or even extremely depressed about
their struggle to connect.
Sometimes having insight
and awareness into our own conditions
can really be hard to handle
and it could lead to other mental health issues.
People with high functioning autism may also
struggle to understand jokes
or sarcasm from their peers.
Therefore, they can appear more mature for their age
but they're really just uncomfortable
in social situations as a whole
and don't really understand what's going on.
They can even have delayed initial speech
but later develop functional communication.
They can also have obsessive actions
regarding appearance, cleanliness, fears
and social situations
and also shortened attention spans.
Most high functioning people with ASD
will still find comfort in routine and order.
Their rituals or restricted habits
may seem odd to those around them
but having it can help them better manage
any anxious feelings
or sensory overload that they may be experiencing.
Therefore, they're prone to tantrums,
or meltdowns when they're overly tired
or stimulated or they can't go through their routine.
We still don't know the actual cause of
autism spectrum disorders
but research shows that those with ASD
do have abnormalities in the social regions of the brain.
These regions include things like the amygdala.
If you remember Alexa and I talked about this,
she called it the fire alarm.
It's really responsible, just so you know,
for emotions, survival and memory,
but they also find there's abnormalities
in the orbital frontal cortex,
which is responsible for cognitive processing
and decision making.
These two areas would explain why those with ASD
struggle so much socially
and can be easily overwhelmed
and have a hard time regulating their emotions.
If our amygdala is like firing all the time,
it can be really hard for us to calm down,
to soothe ourselves.
I mean, just think about it for a second.
But luckily there is so much that we can do
to better manage our ASD
and so let's get into some treatment options
because I think it's important
that we talk about
and understand that ASD isn't something people grow out of,
nor is it something that needs to be cured.
High functioning people struggle the most
to get the care that they need
because many who don't really understand
that there is an entire spectrum associated
with autism disorders,
they say things like, well your child or you,
don't really look autistic
or you know, like you have any special needs.
It can make it even more difficult
for people to get the care that they need,
especially when proper care can allow you
or you child to get the tools
and strategies needed to succeed.
Finding ways to make our unique view
of the world work for us instead of against us
can be so helpful and empowering.
One of the first options for treatment
is occupational therapy.
An occupational therapist is there
to help develop skills, such as handwriting
or fine motor skills and activities of daily living.
Talked about this in other videos
were they kind of meet us where we're at
and help us better manage all things
we have to do each and everyday.
The second time of therapy they talk a lot about is
speech therapy.
Now a speech therapist can help your child
or yourself learn spoken language
and or non-verbal communication skills
because we know it can be really difficult
as someone on the spectrum to fully
understand different unsaid signals
people are sending out.
So it's really important that we work with someone
who can help us better understand and manage.
The next treatment option is ABA therapy
or applied behavior analysis.
Now this focuses on techniques
that help guide learning
and bring out meaningful and positive change in behavior.
So it's very behavior focused.
Some people feel this type of therapy is like too intense,
and it can be traumatizing to children
because we're forcing them to be normal
instead of celebrating their cognitive differences,
but it is a highly research based form of therapy.
Especially for those on the spectrum,
it's been shown to work miracles for them,
so don't completely rule it out
until you fully understand how it works,
and see if it's a right choice for you or your child.
The next treatment option is
social skill classes.
Now, social skill classes offer an opportunity
for kids with autism to practice social skills
with each other on a regular basis.
So all that stuff they might be learning in therapy
or trying to do at home,
this gives them an actual guided place
to practice it all.
So that they can see what works
and what doesn't and help them go from there.
The next option is psychotherapy,
which is essentially what I do.
Psychotherapy uses a variety of techniques as you know,
to help children who experience anxiety,
depression, OCD or other psychiatric systems
that can cause problems for the autistic child.
So a lot of those comorbid issues
I talked about before can be addressed
in therapy with a licensed mental health professional.
This could also include seeing a psychiatrist
if medication is something that can benefit you
or your child.
The next treatment option is floortime therapy.
Floortime activities derive from the idea
that we as parents can help our children
by meeting them at their level
to expand their circles of communication
so we're kind of meeting them were they're at.
Playing the way that they want to play
and they find that floortime can be really beneficial.
The next treatment option,
like I said there were so many
which is wonderful that we have tons
of options to choose from,
but this next one is called RDI therapy, and that stands for
relationship development intervention therapy.
It's a family based behavioral treatment
designed to address autism core symptoms
by appreciating all perspectives,
coping with change
and integrating information
from multiple sources such light and sound.
When I was reading about this it's really,
really helps us or our child,
whoever is one the spectrum,
better manage some of the overwhelm
that can come along with being in like
a really loud restaurant, music going,
people talking to us, being at parties,
it kind of helps us better prepare for that
and we can practice it in that therapy.
The next therapy option is PEC therapy,
and that stands for picture exchange communication.
This is used with nonverbal autistic children
to help them learn to communicate without words,
so then they can make choices
and communicate their needs
and overall minimize their behavior
so they can be a much happier child.
Another treatment option is aquatic therapy.
Using swimming as their therapy can increase
effectiveness of all other forms of treatment
by learning better balance,
communication skills, dealing with sensory issues
and oral motor skills.
Some people also report that equine therapy
is a great option for ASD children.
It helps them focus, transition easier from task to task
and socialize more easily.
Overall just know that there are many,
many treatment options available,
so finding the one that's best for you
or your child is what is most important.
We know that while some treatments
have more research backing them,
if it's not working it's okay to try something else.
As with any diagnosis everyone is gonna be different.
Some people with high functioning autism
can hold jobs and have healthy relationships,
while others just cannot.
Some may do well in school
while others will struggle.
So before jumping to any conclusions,
make sure you listen
and understand what the experience is like
for that individual person.
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As always, leave your thoughts
and or experiences in the comments down below
because with my expertise
and your experience we will keep working
towards a healthy mind
and a healthy body.
I will see you next time, bye.