My son is the same way he is very smart, butand he is actually doing what an average child in his age group does in school, so they consider him high funtioning. He also excels in certain areas, but his social skills are behind, and his comprehension is a little behind as well. The easiest way I can put it is that he could be talked into doing anything and he would trust anyone ws telling him the truth. He does mild stimming when he gets nervous or anxious as well. We are told with a good amount of work and therapy, he should be ok and may be able to function on his own some day.

A young child can be diagnosed with moderate autism but still be considered "high functioning" if he/she is believed to have an underlying high IQ. At least that's what I was told by the developmental pediatrician. My DD met the criteria for "moderate" autism because she had some speech and social interaction, but it was not at all what would be expected for someone her age. But because she is also bright, the dr. told me that she is "high-functioning" and her long-term prognosis is good with continued treatment. Hope that makes sense!