We should stop using functioning labels do describe autistic people

It is common for autistic people to be labeled as either "high functioning" or "low functioning". I think we should stop using these labels.1. Many autistic people criticize functioning labelsThe old adage goes "experience is the best teacher". So why not listen to the people who experience the effects of those labels. Many autistic people feel functioning labels dismiss their struggles, make families, teachers, etc. underestimate autistic children, or are just inaccurate descriptors of many presentations of autism.http://musingsofanaspie.com...2. Functioning labels are misleadingHer name is Carly Fleischmann. She cannot speak orally and had behaviors like hitting herself, fecal smearing, stripping off her clothes, tantrums etc. People assumed she was mentally retarded. One day when she was 11, she went to her therapist's laptop and typed "help" and "hurt" and then vomited. Then they pushed her to type, and now she has a blog called "Carly's voice".When asked why she does these "behaviors", she replied "Because if I don't it feels like my body is going to explode. It's just like when you shake a can of coke. If I could stop it I would but it is not like turning a switch off"Clinically, "low functioning" is supposed to mean intellectual disability. But many children are labeled "low functioning" based on inability to speak/communicate, "severe" behaviors like aggression, fecal smearing, stripping off clothes, etc. and little self-care skills. These have nothing to do with intellectual disability (as evidenced by Carly Fleischmann and other autistics). Many of these children learn to communicate by typing, a communication device, writing or using a letter board, as used in the Rapid Prompting Method (RPM) developed by Soma Mukhopadhyay. https://rhemashope.wordpress.com...Carly Fleischmann, Amy Sequenzia, Larry Bissonnette, Amanda Baggs, Tracy Thresher, Hope Block Sue Rubin and Tito Mukhopadhyay all learned alternative ways to communicate. But people assumed they were retarded. This of course can cause teachers, families, etc to underestimate autistic children, thus put low expectations on them. (Note: RPM is not the same as facilitated communication (FC). In RPM, the instructor prompts you to type. In FC, the instructor physically holds your hands down and types for you).3. Functioning labels are highly subjectiveTake for example a 13 year old kid who is still not potty trained, sometimes self-injures, cannot speak orally or follow 1 step directions (i.e. "turn off the lights"). At age 10 a therapist taught him to type, so he doesn't have intellectual disability, and he can write above grade level. Is he high functioning or low functioning? Depends on who you ask.http://community.babycenter.com...People were asked "What is "low functioning" autism?" One answer said the general consensus is minimal communication, intellectual disability and severely delayed adaptive skill. Another person disagreed with needing to be minimally communicating. A child can be so aggressive that their amount of communication doesn't matter, they cannot function within society at all. They cannot be maintained anywhere, except maybe a hospital. Those kids exist and are low functioning. They may speak well and some may even have IQ 70 or higher.Many people require intellectual disability to be considered "low functioning" (thus, many people say if you can write a blog post, than you're high functioning"). But this person said you don't need to have intellectual disability to be considered "low functioning". In other medical labels, there is a clear set of criteria. We don't have that level of disagreement.4. Functioning labels don't describe how well someone can function in societyI'll tell you the story of an autistic man who was self-injurious as a child, is unable to speak orally and very stimmy, and can't recognize when he's hungry. But he has his own business, is married and raising a family, vs. a 30 year old Aspie who can't maintain a job, still lives with their parents and still needs help knowing what's appropriate. Who is struggling more?5. Functioning labels are used to silence autistic peoplehttp://community.babycenter.com...The original poster said it bothers her when children are described as autistic instead of "has autism". (See people first language) http://www.inclusionproject.org...After finding out most autistic people reject people first language, she said"I also reject the idea that adults living with autism (mostly highfunctioning or Asperger's) should be able to speak for the autism community as a whole. Being an adult with HFA is quite different from being a young child with moderate autism. I think the families of those kids are justified in seeing autism as a neurological disorder that affects their child negatively and not just as a personality type."One day her toddler will be told the same thing. Most autistic people don't want to be cured. Her son will likely feel the same way. But she is using functioning labels to dismiss autistic people.http://lysikan.tumblr.com... The are "low functioning" people (i.e. those who are unable to speak and have minimal self-care skills) who have stated they don't want to be cured. Amy Sequenzia (who is "low functioning" by that definition, also has epilepsy, cerebral palsy, dyspraxia, and insomnia) is against curing autism, but supports curing epilepsy.https://en.wikipedia.org...