High-functioning autism

High-functioning autism (HFA) is an informal term applied to autistic individuals. It may mean a relatively normal IQ, and the ability to speak, read, and write. HFA may simply refer to autistic people who have normal overall intelligence, i.e. are not cognitively challenged.

"High-functioning autism" is not a real diagnostic category, but rather the impression that the child has good cognitive skills. Some studies define "high functioning" as scoring "above 70" or "above 100" on an IQ test, with no consensus about the definition. (100 is the average IQ on standardized tests of intelligence.)

Functioning labels have received plenty of criticism for being vague, oversimplifying autism, and causing potentially harmful misconceptions and stereotypes.