Possibility of High Functioning Autism
By Inderbir Kaur Sandhu, Ph.D
Q:
I recently had my child who is four IQ tested. Originally
they thought he had a form of autism we were ask to take him
to a doctor who did test for that and IQ etc. To our surprise
the doctor said he scored 136, and he's four. I'm not sure
what all that means I just don't see how my child could have
scored that high. For a child that's Four what does that
mean? Did the doctor score him wrong? We just don't see how
he's that smart we don't see it. Thanks.
A: There is too little
information to make any kind of suggestion here but I will
try to advise based on the high IQ. I am not an expert on
autism but from what I understand, when we talk about the
autism spectrum, you may see terms such as ‘low functioning’
and ‘high functioning’ being used ever so often. Commonly,
‘high functioning’ autism is less of an issue for day-to-day
functioning. Therefore, ‘high functioning’ autistics require
very much less support, less treatment, and naturally fewer
educational interventions compared to the ‘low functioning’
ones. ‘High functioning’ autism can also be referred to Asperger Syndrome; a neurobiological disorder that describes
a pattern of children with usually normal intelligence and
language development, but who also exhibit autistic-like
behaviors and marked deficiencies in social and
communication skills. Children with this syndrome are
usually diagnosed after age 3, with most diagnosed between
the ages of 5 and 9.
However, it has been noted that even though people with
Asperger syndrome often have difficulty socially; many have
above-average intelligence. As adults, they may excel in
fields such as computer programming and science. Hence, in
this case there is no delay in their cognitive development,
ability to take care of themselves, or curiosity about their
environment. It is possible that your son may fall into this
category if he is diagnosed as being autistic.
Firstly, you need to know if he is indeed autistic. If so,
does he display any signs of having advanced abilities
compared to his peers? Does he show above average
intelligence based on the things he does? From your
description, you appear not to believe that he has any
“smartness” that is above average. The test score by a
qualified doctor is usually quite accurate given the
objectivity of standardized tests. Secondly, you need to get
the doctor to interpret the results and explain his
strengths and weaknesses. If required, get the doctor to
recommend further testing to enable you to cater for his
educational and functional needs.
Perhaps, he may not be autistic at all! However, it is very
important that you get professional advice on this matter
and a second opinion on his condition. The fact that he was
recommended a test for autism may be due to a reasonable
suspicion of someone qualified. Please do not take this
matter lightly to enable the soonest possible intervention.
All the best!
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