Introduction to High-Functioning Individuals with Autism

Abstract

When Kanner (1943) first described autism, he recognized that individuals with this disability could be high-functioning in terms of their language and intellectual skills. Not only did Kanner recognize this possibility, he believed that all people with autism were within the normal range of intelligence with the potential for average language skills. The 11 children in Kanner’s original sample were, in fact, above average in intelligence. As the investigation and treatment of autism progressed, however, this high-functioning group did not get the same attention as the more common clients with autism who were functioning intellectually in the retarded range with severe communication handicaps.