25/03/2021
Why are functioning labels bad? And what does masking have to do with it?
Focusing on those they label as “high functioning” and the devastating impact that has to autistics that is most likely partly to do with the high su***de rate amongst autistic people!
Functioning labels are used to describe Autistic peoples ability to function. Autism is a spectrum a BIG continuous spectrum, functioning labels are too black and white in my opinion and that’s a HUGE issue in the autistic community because it can leave a lot of autistic people without support or with very little support.
Masking/ camouflaging isn’t taken into account either, Masking or camouflaging is where autistic people learn certain behaviours and social cues and mask (hide) others in order to appear more neurotypical (non-autistic). But this comes at a cost more often than not... for example autistic burnout. Also when we mask we can come across like we are managing and “functioning higher” than we truly are behind the scenes. For example... I got a job working in a bakery in my town and it was pretty busy, I was having to communicate with a lot of people there as well as perform loads of other tasks quite quickly as we always had a lot of queues.
I got this job because everyone around me believed I was more capable than I actually was because of a whole life I spent masking to appear more “normal” and I hid my struggles mostly... I also felt pressured to get a job and it was something that you do when you become an adult... so I got this job.
But what I didn’t expect was the impact it was going to have on me and the autistic burnout it was going to cause either.
I had to mask so much when working and communicating with people I found it extremely difficult, it was emotional and mentally draining, I just felt awkward and I was scared. It was more like I was TERRIFIED. I was terrified of going to work! I would constantly be pressured by the senior staff and managers to go quicker and speak up and do multiple tasks at once.
I lost count how many times I was sent to dishwasher duty because I wasn’t coping on the shop floor serving people. I had multiple breakdowns and crying because of customers using a horrible tone of voice or being aggressive. I was crying and pleading every day with my mum to not make me go to work and call in sick for me... I was honestly terrified to the core. Working meant masking more and it lead to me becoming so emotionally and mentally drained... it triggered Anorexia, depressive disorder, it lead to self harming... and also multiple su***de attempts... it lead to me having a lot of psychiatric hospital admissions and being detained under many different Sections.
I was not coping... I was doing more than I was capable of. It wasn’t a case of I didn’t want to work or I was being lazy... because I REALLY did want to work and be like everyone else my age who had jobs. I wanted MORE THAN ANYTHING to be able to function like a neurotypical person.
Long term masking and no support often can lead to mental illnesses and suicidal thoughts or su***de.
Masking and the use of functioning labels has a part to play with the high su***de rate amongst Autistic people, but also with the amount of us that have or are more likely to develop mental illnesses and struggles... such as Self-Harm, Depression, Anxiety Disorders, Eating Disorders and OCD etc.
When people think of “high functioning”... people think of someone who is intelligent, more capable, can live a “normal life”, doesn’t need support etc.
But what people don’t see or realise is what we mask and what extent we mask to... some of us have loads of different difficulties in many different areas such as sensory (i.e touch, smell, sound, taste and sight), communication, personal care, easily influenced/ taken advantage of, understanding bills/ money, time management, routine/structure, sleep, mental health/ illnesses, physical health, reading, confidence, memory and general daily life... and sooooo many other things.
ALL AUTISTIC PEOPLE NEED SOME LEVEL OF SUPPORT... don’t just assume because of functioning labels or masking/camouflaging that we don’t need support.
Having support in place that we can access and use will have a huge benefit to many Autistic people. And most likely reduce the su***de rate amongst us and the development of mental illnesses and the severity.
When we campaign and speak out... WE ARE NOT forgetting those who require “high support” or those with learning disabilities, but majority of autistic people with learning disabilities get access to support services and there’s more services out there for them... where as if you are seen as “high functioning” people think we don’t need support and we can manage... when it’s not true, there’s not a lot of access to services for support for us. So we have every right to speak out about this major issue with functioning labels and the harm it causes.
Where I live... if you are Autistic without a learning disability then there are NO SUPPORT services for you. The learning disability services here have autism specialists who are support workers, psychiatrists, doctors, therapists, Occupational Therapists etc.... but no... if you aren’t seen as “low functioning” or have a learning disability you get NOTHING.... no access to specialists or any support. We are left to struggle on our own. The mental health services here have no autism specialists and have even told me in the past they are not equipped to support me with it.
The only reason I get 23 hours of support a week now is because my mental health deteriorated to the point I was detained in a psychiatric hospital under a Section 3 of the Mental Health Act for quite awhile and the support I need is covered under Section 117 After Care. So the support I get is paid for.
I wouldn’t have any support if I wasn’t put on a section 3...
So rather than providing support I needed to help me live a stable okay manageable life...... they wait until you ALMOST DIE and become EXTREMELY mentally unwell.... then you can get the support.
IT SHOULDN’T BE THIS WAY, ALL AUTISTIC PEOPLE DESERVE ACCESS TO SUPPORT!
Written by Chloe
