High-functioning autism
| High-functioning autism | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Sukhareva syndrome |
| Specialty | Psychiatry |
| Symptoms | Trouble with social interaction, impaired communication, restricted interests, repetitive behavior |
| Complications | Social isolation, employment problems, family stress, bullying, self-harm |
| Usual onset | By age two or three |
| Duration | Lifelong |
| Causes | Genetic and environmental factors |
| Diagnostic method | Based on behavior and developmental history |
| Differential diagnosis | Asperger syndrome, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, Tourette syndrome, anxiety, bipolar disorder, obsessive–compulsive disorder |
| Treatment | Behavioral therapy, speech therapy, psychotropic medication |
| Medication | Antipsychotics, antidepressants, stimulants (associated symptoms) |
High-functioning autism (HFA) was historically an autism classification to describe a person who exhibited no intellectual disability but otherwise showed autistic traits, such as difficulty in social interaction and communication. The term was often applied to verbal autistic people of at least average intelligence. However, many in medical and autistic communities have called to stop using the term, finding it simplistic and unindicative of the difficulties some autistic people face.
HFA has never been included in either the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) or the World Health Organization's International Classification of Diseases (ICD), the two major classification and diagnostic guidelines for psychiatric conditions.
The DSM-5-TR subtypes autism into three levels based on support needs. Autism Level 1 has the least support needs and corresponds most closely with the "high-functioning" identifier.