As an autistic man in my 60's this is so weird to me. Although I suppose it is progress. When I was a child in the 60's my first diagnosis was "retarded".
I did not realize this had become such a fraught social minefield. For most of my life you were "high functioning" if you could feed, dress, and toilet yourself. Hopefully even live independently. Or you were "low functioning" and got institutionalized.
That's how low the bar was to be "high functioning".
Recently when I told someone she was "high functioning" she nearly took my head off. My perception was that she was passing for normal. Her perception was that she was struggling and that each day was a battle. That by labeling her "high functioning" I somehow denigrated her struggles and implied that she should not need support.
I thought she was being militant but now I see that this really is a big deal among autistics. It's the sort of thing that makes it difficult for older autistics to join the conversation. I don't respond well to lectures about my word choices. I just go away.
I wrote this recently about my childhood. Your son is very lucky to be so loved.
