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About autism and IQ.
We have new and good info from the huge study about pretty much everyone in Scotland.
I crunched some numbers. I'll talk us through this chart I made, to help me think about the results.
We have new and good info from the huge study about pretty much everyone in Scotland.
I crunched some numbers. I'll talk us through this chart I made, to help me think about the results.
There were about 25,000 autistic children & young people in Scotland in 2011.
Less than 4000 of those also had any sort of learning disability. About 15%.
Nearly all autistic people with a learning disability have a 'mild' LD. Their IQ won't stop them living pretty independently/
Less than 4000 of those also had any sort of learning disability. About 15%.
Nearly all autistic people with a learning disability have a 'mild' LD. Their IQ won't stop them living pretty independently/
About 560 out of the 25,000 autistic children and young people had a moderate, severe or profound learning disability. Their IQ means they'll need some, or lots, of support. It's about 2 out of every 100 autistic children & young people.
Now/
Now/
For sure, there are other things that may need support.
Some autistic people may also be non-speaking or have various communication challenges with non-autistic people. So 'translation' between us and others is often needed.
& some will have difficulties planning & doing tasks/
Some autistic people may also be non-speaking or have various communication challenges with non-autistic people. So 'translation' between us and others is often needed.
& some will have difficulties planning & doing tasks/
Some may have other medical conditions such as epilepsy, Ehlers Danlos, etc, which mean that they need support for those things.
Some may end up with mental health conditions because the appalling situations they're put through, and need support for that.
But.../
Some may end up with mental health conditions because the appalling situations they're put through, and need support for that.
But.../
...Pretty much everyone needs support at times.
We all need support when we're children and young people.
We all need support at the end of our lives.
We all need support if we're not well.
Nearly everyone has a mental health condition at some stage (no, really - new research)/
We all need support when we're children and young people.
We all need support at the end of our lives.
We all need support if we're not well.
Nearly everyone has a mental health condition at some stage (no, really - new research)/
So, IQ, communication and other factors aren't 'autism'. They're things that may occur *with* autism; any combination will make life trickier.
Some will also have ADHD.
Some will also have dyspraxia, dyslexia.
Some might be Blind, or Deaf, or have mobility difficulties/
Some will also have ADHD.
Some will also have dyspraxia, dyslexia.
Some might be Blind, or Deaf, or have mobility difficulties/
But being (e.g.) Deaf, and having ADHD, and being autistic, wouldn't make that 'severe autism'.
It just makes it a combination of things that need support.
When we talk of 'severe autism', we need to be thoughtful about what we mean/
It just makes it a combination of things that need support.
When we talk of 'severe autism', we need to be thoughtful about what we mean/
As more and more autistic people are revealed through diagnosis or self-discovery, everything we thought we 'knew' about autistic people has turned out to be pretty much wrong.
And those labels of 'severe' and 'high functioning' have turned out to be very misleading/
And those labels of 'severe' and 'high functioning' have turned out to be very misleading/
I run a company. So I'm 'high functioning' yes?
But I can't live independently. So I'm 'low functioning' yes?
Yet, I can write a lot using words, so I'm 'high functioning', yes?
But I can't always use spoken language. Er, low functioning?
Some days I can do X. Some, not/
But I can't live independently. So I'm 'low functioning' yes?
Yet, I can write a lot using words, so I'm 'high functioning', yes?
But I can't always use spoken language. Er, low functioning?
Some days I can do X. Some, not/
As a child, I rocked and flapped and lined things up and had no speech for social communication. Low functioning, yes?
And, as an adult, I'm an adviser and trainer. High functioning, yes?
Do we get a sense of how meaningless the labels are?
We need to respond to actual need/
And, as an adult, I'm an adviser and trainer. High functioning, yes?
Do we get a sense of how meaningless the labels are?
We need to respond to actual need/
We need to support people when they need it, not take a 'snapshot' of their functioning on a day several years ago, and think that's them for life.
We need to be realistic about knowing almost nothing about autistic older adults, BAME individuals, etc.
So/
We need to be realistic about knowing almost nothing about autistic older adults, BAME individuals, etc.
So/
/When you hear about 'huge numbers' of autistic people with 'low IQs' who all need '24 hr support' and 'cost society billions', remember that it was based on old info from decades ago.
Let's use real figures, & see autistic ppl as loved & fab people, every one of full worth.
Let's use real figures, & see autistic ppl as loved & fab people, every one of full worth.
