An Introduction to Autism Levels

We hear a lot about levels. Some places give them, some don't.

In America, many places have stopped. The levels are supposed to indicate how severe their disorder is and how much support they need in their daily lives.

Defining levels:

Level 1, requires some support. This is the mildest form of autism. Autistics with a level 1 diagnosis may have a hard time communicating appropriately with others. They may not be able to read social cues or understand body language. Others may see them as awkward or quirky. Sometimes they mask their autistic traits.

Level 2, requires substantial support. Autistics with a level 2 diagnosis may have more obvious problems with verbal and social cues. They may find it harder to change focus or transition to different activities. Their repetitive behavior may be more obvious. Milestones will be more challenging, but often occur late.

Level 3, requires very substantial support. This is the most severe form of autism. Autistics diagnosed at this level may have difficulty in the same areas as other levels, but likely will be more extreme. Communication, transitions, and change can be quite challenging. The repetitive behavior are more intense. Some milestones may not be obtainable.

Why are levels used: The levels are pretty much for insurance purposes, used for billing codes. They are also used to define an effective treatment plan and help caretakers better understand individuals' symptoms and needs.

Discrepancy in levels: The level does not define your child. If you take your child to different people for a diagnosis, likely they will get a different level each time. As there's no particular behavior that equates a given level. Levels are not clear cut. A medical professional may assign a level different than an educator. As their educational needs may look different than their medical needs. Just because you're told your child is certain level, it doesn't mean that's their level for life. It can change. Different things like therapy, their environment, their mood, stress, and professional performing the evaluation are all factors. Additionally, some children will mask their autistic traits at different times.

Terminology: Sometimes levels are described as high functioning or low functioning, but it doesn't really accurately describe a childs' needs. Just because a child is diagnosed as level 3 doesn't necessarily mean they are low functioning. Or that a level 1 diagnosis is high functioning. Sometimes level 1 children struggle as much as level 3 children. This is why we gotta look at the childs' needs, not the level.

In Summary: Autism is a huge spectrum. No two Autistics are the same. They may have some similarities, but they indeed have differences too. People aren't more autistic or less autistic. Autism is not linear. It's more like a pie chart and different autistics have different amounts of difficulty with each separate slice of pie.