Just over a decade ago, Anthony Hopkins was diagnosed with what he wasn’t surprised by: Asperger’s syndrome. Being on the autism spectrum or, more specifically, being part of the group of people with highly functional autism is, in their own words, an advantage. The reason? He has impeccable memory and loves to focus on the characters he embodies.
Can we name a lot of other celebrities with? Or suspects autism spectrum disorder, such as Albert Einstein, Tim Burton, Bill Gates, Steven Spielberg, etc. , however, by referencing these personalities, who sometimes rub on genius in their work, one might think that having this type of highly functional autism is almost a blessing or a stroke of luck.
- But we cannot get carried away by appearances.
- Many of these people excel in each of their skills.
- Whether artistic.
- Technical or scientific.
- However.
- In the social sphere and.
- Above all.
- In the affective.
- Tend to have great limitations Difficulties that.
- In turn.
- Can lead to conflict or social desatination.
Anthony Hopkins admits that for a good time in his life he has had to deal with anger and an obvious difficulty in connecting with people, that’s where his previous problems with alcohol lie.
Today, through painting and music, he has been able to find a way to harmonize his emotional universe.
As impressive as it may seem, we still don’t know everything about autism and, more importantly, resources and measures to diagnose it earlier are lacking in cases where the characteristics are not as obvious.
People with highly functional autism are often diagnosed in adulthood, this is mainly because they usually have very high intelligence that allows them to overcome difficulties.
It is true that families and the social circle tend to perceive certain limits, however, these deficiencies are attributed more to the personality factor and are rarely used to suspect that behind certain behaviors there is an autism spectrum disorder.
Let’s see how people with highly functional autism tend to be
We have already talked about it: people with functional autism express themselves, speak, reason and communicate effectively and deftly.
As a remarkable characteristic, it draws attention not only for its higher than average IQ, but also for its good spatial intelligence skills, which translates into the ability to imagine, visualize and distinguish different objects of two or three dimensions, as well like transforming concepts, modifying and manipulating data and objects, etc.
Very functional people are very curious and show different interests from the beginning, many focus on specific areas with which they will become?Obsessed? In many cases. They seek information, ask, research and devote much of their time to this particular interest.
Despite the fact that they demonstrate different intellectual abilities, there is something that generally defines these people: the limitation of sociability, they are not good at reading social situations, so they generally feel lost in them.
They have trouble connecting with other people and many avoid eye contact, feel different, which leads them to prefer loneliness, in interactions they generally enjoy debates, but not so much of relaxed conversations, in which double senses can prevail.
Unfortunately, many children with functional autism end up being considered hyperactive, are they restless children who touch everything, who ask constant questions, who get bored frequently?
Some studies, such as those conducted at the University of Nottingham in the United Kingdom by Dr. Alinda Gilliot, show something remarkable: people with highly functional autism tend to have anxiety problems and even obsessive-compulsive disorder. At the same time, they have more difficulty managing their emotions.
As with most neurological diseases, the autism spectrum is a complex combination of characteristics that creates a different way of addressing reality. For starters, there will be people with more severe autism, cases where effective communication is not even possible.
In other cases, Asperger’s syndrome may appear at its highest level, such as sage or scientific syndrome, a type of disorder that, while may involve physical, mental, or motor disabilities, brings with it an exceptional ability for something specific. Physical?
But what about highly functional autism? Many define it as mild autism, others as Asperger syndrome, although this category does not appear officially in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V), this is an undeniable reality.
Many reach adulthood and face this label, at which point they understand why their limitations/social and emotional problems. Out of curiosity, it should be noted that in recent years interesting therapeutic research has been carried out on the subject. .
The National Institute of Mental Health in Bethesda, USA, has found that oxytocin significantly improves the social behavior of people with highly functional autism, so these are relevant data that we will continue to monitor.