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ASD severity levels explained (hopefully)
- Thread starter tazz
- Start date
Usually. Other things you struggle with may be down to the fact that everyone with autism is different. There are no set symptoms or abilities for each severity level, yet severity levels still exist. Because autism is mostly a social disorder, it's usually more down to how well the autism person communicates. Usually Aspie children with no speech delays and are as articulate as their same-age peers will have less obvious communication issues than an autistic child who is non-verbal, or was a late talker or who struggles to use their words articulately when way past the toddler stage, such as echolalia or speaking in limited sentences.
Not being delayed at all in speech can give Aspie children an advantage and can be less disabled by their ASD.
It was 1999 when I was diagnosed (in the good old days when Asperger's was still a legitimate diagnosis), and they couldn't diagnose me with autism because I was too articulate, made eye contact, could answer questions 'correctly', had no trouble with back-and-forth communication, could interact with my peers, and was naturally learning social skills each year (emotional immaturity made my social skills a little behind my peers when I hit around age 7).
But I read somewhere among some old paperwork that I was "immature" at 4. Unless a 4-year-old is not talking and still in diapers, I don't see how a 4-year-old can be immature. It's still quite normal for 4-year-olds to have tantrums or act babyish in other ways. I was very hyperactive at 4 but I don't see how that could be classed as immature, as I was not in diapers, I could communicate just as well as the average 4-year-old, and I think I could dress myself, although I'm sure it's not abnormal for 4-year-olds to still require some help with dressing.
Maybe people think that once you're past age 2 you should grow up. One time I was watching a Supernanny documentary about a tantrum-prone 3-year-old, and the narrator said "he screams like a baby." But isn't 3 still an age where they do typically scream?
GrownupGirl
Tempermental Artist
The level descriptions make being autistic just sound so negative and horrible. I hate it. They might as well stamp a "do not resuscitate" label on our foreheads.
It is the severe co-morbids that are tragic, not the base autism.
And make no mistake about it, TBIs are tragic!
We have all three levels in our family, but our 2 & 3 are greatly loved.
Some don't realize that the three levels are in place to determine support needs.
Asperger's Syndrome really didn't cut it because there wasn't enough demarcation.
I read DSM IV in it's entirety, then skimmed III and 5.
My take on it is that the DSM isn't a how to manual, but merely a fiscal guide to determine needs based on deficits.
If the neuropsych/team needs a how to manual to do their job properly, I don't want them assessing me.
Some of the non verbal individuals are actually some of the sweetest people you could ever meet.
I can't answer for you, but my son is ASD2 and has an extremely high IQ (some parts anyway). He can read at a middle school level and do mental addition/subtraction into the three digits. He just turned 6.
He can't write for crap though and scored below 75 on certain parts of that IQ test. Extremely spiky intelligence.
That being said, @Crossbreed is correct, it's about support. I've noticed a romanticization of ASD1 vs. ASD2 in certain online forums. Levels are not a measure of "severity" of autism. It is a measure of required support. I fully expect my kid to transition to 1 later on in childhood. And there is evidence to suggest that intelligence goes a long way to mask the severity of all disabilities in general; gifted NDs are far more likely to be diagnosed as adults than non-gifted NDs.
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I believe the more "spiky" profile (including intelligence) one has, the more likely they'll be diagnosed with level 2 autism, although sometimes they can be diagnosed with level 1, depending on how the other symptoms affect them too.
My son is diagnosed level 2 because he cannot be mainstreamed. Level 1 ASD children tend to need accommodations not ABA/special ed. I had the same issues when I was his age.
What do you mean by "mainstreamed?"
"Mainstreamed" usually means being left in the regular classroom (with possible modifications to their homework load/assignments). Some (like one of my sons and some here) will even be accelerated in their classes, if they need to be.
Colloquially, that is called long-bus autism (vs. short-bus autism).
I had a TA (teacher's assistant) in the classroom, but I'm not sure if all classes in primary school had one or not. I was often on the special ed table in the classroom, along with other children in the class who needed extra help with their work, in other words, I was placed with the slow learners, which was comfortable for me because I wasn't a very fast learner nor a very keen learner. But I think this was due to the unrecognised ADHD. It seems that usually children diagnosed with Asperger's are little professors that are intellectually capable in the classroom and like to learn, but I wasn't. I was socially and emotionally capable but just needed help with my work, just like the other slow learners. Although I don't remember there being a TA every day.
But I most definitely was not a little professor. I didn't know much about anything and didn't have a special subject I'd indulge in or know all the facts about. I was more interested in my peers and playing imaginative games.
My sister was also placed in a special ed group through primary (elementary) school and needed extra support. But at high school I still had to have a TA in the classroom with me, though not in every subject. Looking back, my very short attention span in class was why I was glad I had the support, otherwise I would have fallen behind in classes. But at high school there was a girl with epilepsy in most of my classes and she required a TA too, so we were often placed together so that we could be assisted by the TA.
It didn't help my social life though, as I was seen as the "retarded kid" and so was rejected by my peers. That also damaged my self-esteem, so I just automatically turned to my TA for friendship-like support, which socially isolated me even more.
But I most definitely was not a little professor. I didn't know much about anything and didn't have a special subject I'd indulge in or know all the facts about. I was more interested in my peers and playing imaginative games.
My sister was also placed in a special ed group through primary (elementary) school and needed extra support. But at high school I still had to have a TA in the classroom with me, though not in every subject. Looking back, my very short attention span in class was why I was glad I had the support, otherwise I would have fallen behind in classes. But at high school there was a girl with epilepsy in most of my classes and she required a TA too, so we were often placed together so that we could be assisted by the TA.
It didn't help my social life though, as I was seen as the "retarded kid" and so was rejected by my peers. That also damaged my self-esteem, so I just automatically turned to my TA for friendship-like support, which socially isolated me even more.
@Misty Avich
My pastor is ADHD, definitely not autistic, and was in special ed as well for similar reasons. You aren't alone.
As I've mentioned in another thread, the ASD2/gifted combo isn't common, either.
My pastor is ADHD, definitely not autistic, and was in special ed as well for similar reasons. You aren't alone.
As I've mentioned in another thread, the ASD2/gifted combo isn't common, either.
You've made me feel better about being in special ed. As autism is a spectrum I felt that being in special ed meant I was more severe or disabled than what I really am. But my sister was in special ed too, and she's not ADHD nor autistic (well, apparently she has traits but she's never been assessed for autism, it might just be part of her learning difficulties, as learning difficulties can also affect the social skills too to some extent, though many autistics won't admit to this).
Are you sure that you want to drive then, if it is easy for you to get distracted on things like that? After all we are talking about human lives here.
I kind of get nervous about all that and decide not to . Then there are the questions and disapproving looks from certain family (mainly a certain aunt). Also the organization that is trying to help me get a job says that having my liscense would help. And it seems like a lot of people in general think that lack of a liscense is proof of laziness and it makes me feel bad. I don't know what to do really. My mom is willing to drive me places and is not judgmental about it at all ,but she is one of the very few.
I'm getting very angry at the whole accomodations thing. I have real problems. They make my life unbearable, I'm ill all the time, I have no free time. Yet, I don't deserve any help. Others deserve that things are being made easier for them and hence they have better lives, aren't ill all the time. I don't deserve it, becuase I have a high IQ and can do everything that is considered "basic" in theory, when I'm not exhausted, and I'm good at "advanced" skills. But I am exhausted most of the time. I even have the impression that everyone but me gets accomodations, most people around me get them, and I'm supposed to have it harder than everyone else. It's not okay that I'm being held to a higher standard to achieve the same credit. Not in a disability making it harder manner, in literally people establishing different standards for different people manner. I'm human just like everyone else, not superhuman, but I'm being held to higher standards in all kinds of ways across differerent areas, and being denied the credits and rewards that everyone else gets when they're doing worse than me. This isn't alright. IQ doesn't make me any immune to problems. I firmly belive that a very high IQ comes with abnormalities that deserve attention and accomodations, because your brain works differently and might have dysfunctions that are the other side of the same coin.
Trust me, I know.
It can worry me when I see things like substantial support is needed etc when there is nothing really available for some people where they live and they are put into somewhere to live and have to manage alone. It' s like it is not good practise for level 2 and above to do such things and that can undermine a bit of your confidence in yourself. What they say about social support is limited though. In some borough's you will only get further support in some areas if you have a learning disability and Autism and that will be depend on how much support an Autistic person gets. Some borough's will not consider some autistics in need of further suppport. I ended getting some support through an OT after I did my assessment and I had some support in the community. Some of my family was really pushing for it. I had some savings and they based my assessment on that. and it got expensive for me and I couldn't justify it and cancelled I have this sense like some autistics just manage pretty much living in their heads and alone as they cannot cope. I am guarding against that for myself and find other ways to cope hopeful as well. I'm just paying privately now for domestic work at home.
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Look where they send me after diagnosis in my borough. It was a dual Learning Disability and Autism support service at that time. They even seem to be looking when conditions started as well.
Eligibity
Eligibity
- A service user with formal diagnosis of Learning Disability with impact of LD as predominant need. Learning disability defined as significantly below intellectual functioning and adaptive behaviour functions.
- Formal diagnosis is preferable, but not essential, if LD diagnosis is confirmed at referral, with evidence of diagnosis.
- Has a significantly reduced ability to understand new or more complex information or to learn new skills. A person’s I.Q. (Intelligence Quotient) is not the only defining factor, but those with an I.Q. below 70 would be considered for the purpose of this definition.
- Alongside the above, has a significantly reduced ability to cope independently, i.e. they have impaired personal and social skills (for example: with communication, self-care, daily living skills, use of community resources, health and safety, leisure, or work),
- Has a disability that started before adulthood (18 yrs) with a lasting effect on their development.
- Where the LD diagnosis is unclear, further screening (‘Eligibility Assessment’) will be undertaken.
- Some service users with a Learning Disability can access mainstream services with support of Learning Disability Specialists with reasonable adjustments considered (Equality Act 2010).
Non-eligble
- Learning difficulty (e.g. Dyslexia, ADHD, Dyspraxia) or Neurodevelopmental Disorder (e.g. Autism) alone (i.e. without diagnosis of Learning Disability)
- People with high functioning Asperger’s syndrome or high functioning Autism whose cognitive abilities are in the average range or above.
- ‘Borderline’ LD suggestive of ability to access mainstream services with reasonable adjustments.
- Where learning disability is not the predominant need and/or another service may be more appropriate.
- Acquired brain damage after the age of 18 years old leading to the loss of the ability to understand new or more complex information or to learn new skills (e.g. victims of road traffic accidents).
- Those adults with social/communication disorders with average or above average intelligence.
- Those whose function has been affected by environmental/emotional circumstances e.g. emotional trauma, abuse, limited educational opportunities, (people in these situations may be subject to further clinical assessment).
- Those whose primary disorder and support needs are related to alcohol and drug misuse, sensory impairment, psychiatric illness, or physical impairment.
- Develop an adult onset medical condition that leads to difficulties with cognitive functioning e.g. degenerative neurological conditions, dementia, stroke etc.
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