ASD severity levels explained (hopefully)

[Kalinychta]

"Without supports in place, deficits in in social communication cause noticeable impairments"

To me this implies for someone at level 1... when "supports" are in place there are no noticeable social impairments.

Scratching head a bit on that one, wondering how common it can be that someone with autism has no noticeable social impairments with "supports" in place (whatever that is).

If I'm understanding it at all, I have to be level 2, maybe even level 3 socially.

Have you not been diagnosed?

 

[zaphod]

Appointment #2 of my assessment is in 2 days.

 

[vergil96]

Scratching head a bit on that one, wondering how common it can be that someone with autism has no noticeable social impairments with "supports" in place (whatever that is).

I think it would mean that a therapist would explain to the autistic person some things that are hard for them to figure out and with some explanation, they would be completely fine.

 

[MNAus]

On the original question. One of my kids got a 1 & 2 diagnosis. We were advised to consider her as asd2.

 

[Kalinychta]

Appointment #2 of my assessment is in 2 days.

Oh good. Will you have time to ask the analyst these questions you have?

 

[Outdated]

A lot of it comes down to knowledge, understanding, and even different character traits of the individual practitioners too. After my diagnosis, and on a pension for it, a GP looked at my diagnostic report then handed it back to me and said "There's no such thing as autism, you're just suffering anxiety.".

 

[tazz]

On the original question. One of my kids got a 1 & 2 diagnosis. We were advised to consider her as asd2.

Thank you. So along with what @Neonatal RRT mentioned earlier, that would answer my question. What I'm taking from this is that DSM does indeed suggest that the severity of A) social communication and B) Restricted and repetitive behaviour should be assessed separately (so an individual might get two different severity scores). But then for other reasons (e.g. obtaining welfare and other support) it kinda gets lumped together. And of course if both A and B score the same, then it can readily be referred to as a single severity score anyway. Overall that would explain why I never see anyone refer to two different scores - even though clearly it does happen.

@Outdated Regardless of what I just wrote, I agree that different practitioners also have varying degrees of understanding and differing interpretations. As @Neonatal RRT wrote about in a different thread, autism diagnosis may move away from the psychologist's office and into the neurologist's office which might reduce all this confusion. But for now at least, we're stuck with the vagueness and complexity of things like DSM.

 

[Judge]

After my diagnosis, and on a pension for it, a GP looked at my diagnostic report then handed it back to me and said "There's no such thing as autism, you're just suffering anxiety.".

Perhaps the ultimate in medical "freelancing".

 

[Outdated]

As @Neonatal RRT wrote about in a different thread, autism diagnosis may move away from the psychologist's office and into the neurologist's office which might reduce all this confusion. But for now at least, we're stuck with the vagueness and complexity of things like DSM.

I think things might end up turning that way. From another thread talking about another issue - our often bad reactions to drugs, someone mentioned a site I'm linking below.

Some of us have very bad reactions to drugs like SSRIs and now a simple genetic assay from a cheek swab can quickly tell you if you're going to be one of those people. A great way to save a lot of people a lot of drama, but could it be that in the future a genetic assay such as this would become part of the diagnostic process?

https://genesight.com/

 

[Outdated]

Perhaps the ultimate in medical "freelancing".

I complained. He doesn't work in any state run clinics any more. I said he was a danger to the community.

 

[Judge]

I complained. He doesn't work in any state run clinics any more. I said he was a danger to the community.

Maybe he turned out to be the danger to his peers and patients. Karma...

Though it might be interesting to hear from doctors who choose to ignore any of the formal protocols in a "round table" interview as to why they'd rather freelance a diagnosis. And how their diagnosis stands within their own medical community.

 

[tazz]

Thanks for posting this, I was actually just trying to figure this stuff out.

I have seen the word "support" used within the context of severity levels several times.

"social impairments even with supports in place"

"Without supports in place, deficits in in social communication cause noticeable impairments"

What exactly are "supports"?

I don't know the answer to this but it's an interesting question. Myself, I have access to an autism team and, for example, I am getting help from them to enable me to communicate better with other healthcare teams. So I guess with their help I am able to converse with doctors effectively and get the healthcare I need. But without their help (if that support was not in place) the communications would break down and I'd eventually give up and just not get the healthcare I need - which would lead to health problems and treatments that could have been avoided. So this would be like severity 1.

I can imagine that if my communication problems were more severe, then even with that autism team's support, I'd still have difficulty getting the healthcare I need. Which would more closely fit severity 2.

I dunno, just guessing here. But it sounds reasonable.

 

[Crossbreed]

Pragmatically speaking (in the US),

• ASD3 requires a court-appointed Guardian of Person as an adult.
• ASD2 requires a Conservator of Estate, a representative payee or similar (but no guardian) as an adult.
• ASD1 requires neither as an adult.

 

[Misty Avich]

I can't really relate to the level 1 in that chart (and especially not the other two of course), because I don't really have significant impairments with social communication like it says. My social awkwardness seems to be from social anxiety and ADHD (impulsivity, hyperactivity and difficulty with attention). That in itself causes social awkwardness but not the typical autistic social impairments. In fact 'social impairments' seems too serious a term for my case. I'm quirky but not impaired.

 

[Neri]

I have ASD2, but it's really due to excessive amounts of abuse and neglect that caused complex ptsd as I'm now able to communicate quite well, if I feel safe to do so. This is after YEARS of working on said communication skills. I am avoidant though. It's hard work to be communicative and can leave me very tired and I get burn out pretty easily, if I push it. My sensitivities are acute. I have a "2e" brain, which is very dense, very highly connective and acutely aware, and this can be debilitating, when things are "wrong" socially and culturally. I'm easily shunned and don't have the skills to know what to do about that, nor do I have the energy. It has always been thus.
In an ideal society, I wouldn't be considered disabled at all, I would be appreciated for my "savant"level skills and abilities.

 

[Gerald Wilgus]

I was exceptionally fortunate in that during the period when my autism affected me most severely, I did not know I was autistic, but understood that I had social deficits. This gave me the push to work to mature socially and I quickly met my future spouse which answered for a lot of experience I had denied myself through my confusions.

 

[Atrapa Almas]

What exactly are "supports"?

In Spanish they reffer to external help. As examples:

+ A supoort device for non verbal to type what they want to say so the device will voice it for them.

+ Sun glasses to damp lights so it wont hurt that much.

+Moving hands instead of applause in a theatre so It wont disturb sensitive people.

We also use the word accomodations. Im not sure what they reffer by support in english. May it be money? Not sure.

 

[Crossbreed]

A support device for non verbal to type what they want to say so the device will voice it for them.

Someone who can articulate their preferences --even if they need a device to do so-- would likely be considered an ASD2 or even a 1.
3s like my daughter cannot do that.

 

[Outdated]

In Spanish they reffer to external help. As examples:

In Australia it also refers to being able to receive assistance from various health departments. I haven't applied for any of these services yet but I could have an autism specialist carer help me with different tasks such as going shopping or accessing health services, or even accompanying me when I attend social events.

 

[FayetheAspie]

They did not give me a functioning level when I was diagnosed. Are you automatically level 1 if you had no language delays and a high average iq range ? Or would lack of a driver liscense, noticeable stimming, ect. imply another level ? I have tried to obtain the driver's liscense multiple times. It is hard to observe everything that you need to when your eyes want to focus on small details like a chip in the paint of the car ahead of you or a tree leaf that has turned a different color than the rest of the tree.