Functioning Labels: Why We Don’t Use Them & Better Alternatives
Functioning labels categorize disabled people based on their abilities, but here’s the thing — functioning labels are inadequate to describe any person, disability or not.
Autistic people deserve accurate representation.
Autistic people are often categorized as high or low functioning to locate them along the “spectrum” of autism, which denies that the spectrum is not linear and high and low-functioning are inaccurate classifications. The linear autism spectrum is perceived as a gradation of “can” and “can’t” and lacks the de facto specificity of abilities or challenges. Additionally, the notion of can and can’t is subjective and relies on normative expectations for the execution of tasks or ways of living.
The linear spectrum defies nuance, which is problematic because it formats autism compared to non-autism neurotypicality. Instead, we should focus on each person’s needs and strengths and recognize autism as a valid and culturally relevant way of being.
To enable autistic people and help them reach their potential, consider their individual circumstances. Society often makes things more challenging for people with disabilities by not meeting their needs, so identifying them is the first step toward making things more equitable. And how do we figure out what people need? Simple — ask them! Never make assumptions about what someone can or can’t do.
Easy examples of how to replace functioning labels with specificity:
Annie (she/her), an autistic person, is non-speaking and uses an AAC (augmentative and alternative communication) device to communicate. She drives herself to work for her job as a software engineer, where she wears noise-canceling headphones to silence in-office noise.
Rashad (he/him) writes for a primary news source and does not use a computer keyboard because of dexterity limitations. Instead, he types on the phone or uses voice-to-text.
Avery (they/them) lives in an apartment with two roommates and has a carer who helps them prepare meals and get ready for school in the morning. They are an ethnic studies student at a college several states away from their parents. They play clarinet in the marching band.
As you can see, Annie may appear “high functioning” because she has a job in STEM, but functioning labels would ignore her communication and environmental needs. Rashad doesn’t use one form of the keyboard but does use another. Avery is independent in some ways but needs in-home support in other ways.
To know us is to respect us.
Vague descriptors like “high or low functioning” would tell us nothing useful about Annie, Rashad, or Avery. Functioning labels are reductive terms that undermine one’s humanity, struggles, and individuality. Accurate identifiers can help others understand the nature of individual disabilities and adequately accommodate someone’s needs.
We can acknowledge that individuals encounter diverse challenges that we cannot generalize, and these challenges do not imply that the person is flawed or defective.
