Autism and the Dangers of Functioning Labels
The darkest corners of the internet are in places where you least expect it. There has been recent traction towards the ideology of “aspie supremacy” - defined as an idea that “high-functioning” autistic people who would’ve been diagnosed as having Asperger’s are superior to both neurotypical people and other autistic people. This ideology that disability rights advocates have coined as problematic has been around since the Nazi regime and Hans Asperger’s experiments but has recently gained traction from the Telsa creator Elon Musk.
But why is the term “high-functioning” controversial? And why does it have links to “aspie supremacy?” As mentioned, Dr. Asperger’s created the diagnosis “Asperger’s” to identify autistic children he deemed as intelligent for society. As a result, autistic children were separated into two categories: those seen as “bright” and “capable of great intellectual achievements” (high-functioning) and those described as “bizarre, eccentric, and useless” (low-functioning). The reinforcement of these criteria manifested into what is known as “aspie supremacy” and contributed to the foundations of ableism in societal institutions.
“Functioning labels fail to capture the full picture. They can create unnecessary barriers and misconceptions, leading people to misunderstand or underestimate an autistic person’s abilities and needs.”
Functioning labels are socially constructed and hold more weight in society despite not being in the official autism diagnosis criteria. Many autistic people experience discrimination that is linked to the manifestation Hans Asperger and the functioning labels. Firstly, functioning labels place autistic people into two categories: those seen as more able to contribute to society and those seen as less able to contribute to society. The term “contributing” refers to a productive member of society whose labour produces profit for the capitalist system, whether it’s through producing or selling the product of value.
I remember after disclosing my autism diagnosis to doctors and other healthcare professionals, they praised me for staying productive and completing my studies despite the challenges I faced. In their words, it was a way of saying that “I’m a good autistic person” and an “able-bodied member of society.” I didn’t feel grateful, it only made me feel more trapped in this cycle of “productivity.” This is a common settlement for autistic people labelled as “high-functioning.” Functioning labels do not account for what goes on behind the scenes. For example, on the outside, people see a “high-functioning” autistic person who can complete a university degree, have a part-time job and extra-curriculum activities, but they don’t see the “high-functioning” autistic person who goes home feeling mentally exhausted and struggles to complete necessary tasks, such as cleaning, making dinner and so forth. This was my reality during university (and even today working a 9-5 job), and, unfortunately, people assume that because an autistic person has a job or another commitment, it doesn’t mean they don’t experience challenges..
Furthermore, another reason why functioning labels are dangerous is that it reinforces ableism by predicting a false path for autistic people. For instance, many non-speaking autistic people who are labelled as “low-functioning” are seen as less intelligent than verbal autistic people due to using devices to communicate. Unfortunately, this leads to many non-speaking autistic people not being given educational and/or career opportunities because of the false belief that using devices to communicate is less valuable to the productivity of society. This is not only insulting or limiting but also dangerous. Many non-speaking autistic advocates are changing the way of thinking in technological advancements and making an impact in challenging the injustice of ableism in society, but reinforcement of ableist attitudes creates barriers for them.
It’s easy to say to stop using functioning labels, but we must remember that we are changing the way people think. Instead of scrutinising individuals for employing functioning labels, we should engage in constructive discussions about language. We must ask ourselves why they use functioning labels. Perhaps it’s because they have been socialised from a young age to know no alternative language. To challenge their use of language, we should educate them on the reasons why functioning labels reinforce negative stereotypes about autistic individuals and what alternative language they can use instead. This approach offers them a choice regarding how they wish to converse.
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