High-Functioning Autism
Many people with symptoms on the Autism spectrum are able to function normally in society. For the most part, the social difficulties created by their autistic nature does not adversely impact their ability to interact with others on a day-to-day basis, while at the same time they reap some of the very positive benefits of autism / Asperger's Syndrome: for example, they possess above-average mathematical ability, or the ability to focus intensely and for long periods on a difficult problem. These people are said to have High-Functioning Autism (HFA).
A self-test may be administered to measure one's tendency towards HFA:
- Autism Research Center: The Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ) — A self-administered test for High-Functioning Autism (HFA): S. Baron-Cohen, S. Wheelwright, R. Skinner, J. Martin and E. Clubley, (2001), The Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ) : Evidence from Asperger Syndrome/High Functioning Autism, Males and Females, Scientists and Mathematicians. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders 31:5-17.
In general, people with HFA tend to make fairly frequent social faux pas involving an inability to predict another party's thoughts, feelings or reactions to something that might be said, but not at the level of full autism or Asperger's Syndrome. HFAs are somewhat brash and opinionated, but though they are eloquent and often correct in the points they make, they may not succeed in conveying these ideas to others in the language that others understand, due to a reduced ability to understand where the other person is coming from and why they can't understand the point that the HFA is trying to make at the HFA's more abstract level. HFAs are articulate, intelligent, gifted, hard workers (when they are actually interested in the task at hand) and excellent problem solvers. They can be extreme procrastinators where the task appears mediocre or mundane. They may appear somewhat aloof or disconnected at times, particularly in situations of sensory overload or extreme perceived social pressure, such as at a party.
HFAs tend to become excellent scientists and engineers. There is a high correlation between HFA characteristics and those described in the Myers-Briggs INTP profile, due to the Asperger's/Autism link: description 1, description 2. Another theory states that Asperger's correlates to the INTJ personality type whereas HFA correlates to the INFJ personality type.
HFAs are often just seen as the hyper-informed "computer geeks" and engineers of society, and their slight social ineptitude may just be accepted by their peers as par for the course for those of above-average intelligence!