#autism levels

[zebulontheplanet]

Autism levels and support needs ARE NOT replacing functioning levels and are “basically the same”. Stop it.

[neuroticboyfriend]

people can call their experience of autism as a disorder, disability, or neurodivergency... they can use functioning labels or support needs terms or levels... i don't care, as long as they aren't calling themself an aspie or telling others how to define themself.

what matters most to me is that people describe their experiences in a way that's empowering to them. everyone experiences autism differently. everyone has different understandings of the terms i listed above. we may all have things in common, but we're not all the same.

that's okay. that's natural. just be yourself, and respect others.

[languageshead]

People saying they are "higher needs" when you point out harmful and misinformation that they are spreading about higher needs autism.

I have noticed this quite often, it is definitely not uncommon. When you are being called out about misinformation it's much easier to say that you are a part of that community as a "free pass" to validate anything you say than come forward that you were wrong and maybe reflect a little bit about what you have said.

Whenever people say "levels are ableist", "levels are stereotyping us" and I point out that this perspective is very low needs centered and it's usually late-diagnosed, low needs people that spread this kind of information that is incorrect and harmful people always, always end up saying "I am higher needs too", "I am level 2/3" and this makes me so incredibly upset.

First, if the person is being honest about their level, which honestly you just have to believe they are and hope for the best, since a lot of people seem to be self-diagnosing with "higher needs", which I absolutely do not agree with, that doesn't make them exempt from having typically "low needs/late-diagnosed actions". Being higher needs does not make you immune to saying bullshit and to ignoring other higher needs autistics. Being autistic also doesn't exempt you from being ableist, from being an Aspie Supremacist, being part of a community does not make you immune to being ableist to your own community. The biggest example of this is how often gay men are homophobic towards their own LGBTQ+ community, how often they can be transphobic, lesbophobic etc.

So, if someone is pointing out that what you are saying goes against the majority of the higher needs autism community, you do not get to say "I am higher needs" to validate what you are saying. I never, ever assume someone's needs over the internet and to call you out for harmful misinformation about levels and the general higher needs autistic activism is not assuming your level. If I tell you that what you are saying goes against what the majority of higher needs autistics talk about, I am not assuming you aren't higher needs. I am simply pointing out that you are being harmful to higher needs autistics, whether you are or not one of us.

Second, I am honestly very surprised to see people claiming they are higher needs while clearly not participating in higher needs activism and discussions. It's clear to all of us here, as far as I am aware, that levels are needed and that they are not ableist. All of my online "friends" (I call you all friends, because I remember your usernames and always check to see what you've been posting, even if we don't really interact) are fighting to get low needs/late-diagnosed people to understand our perspective and to understand that some of us do have more needs than others and that's fine. And very honestly, if one of us, who truly knows what we go through in the autistic community, keeps spreading this type of misinformation, this makes me so incredibly sad and I honestly am unable to understand why they would do that.

And I honestly assume (I know it's not really okay to assume, but be patient with me, we're all trying our bests and a lot of us are just tired with the backlash from the mainstream autistic community), by the things these people usually say that they really do not engage in our activism and do not truly understand what we try to fight for within the autistic community. So I do not know if they are late-diagnosed higher needs and therefore do not know about us, if they aren't higher needs, if they are higher needs yet refuse to participate in our activism, if they self-diagnosed higher needs... I don't know. Anyways, in any of these cases, telling you to keep up with actual higher needs activism (like what we do here, over at Reddit etc) is not, in any way, assuming you are not higher needs. It's telling you that you are clearly not listening to higher needs autism activism.

I always try to be nice and end up being blocked because people within the autistic community cannot take any criticism, ever. Just happened right now. I put so much effort into my words (which is much harder when you have a language impairment) to try to educate people, to be nice and let them know what they are saying is incorrect and people just assume I am either attacking them, being "ableist" or any other kind of misinterpretation of my words. Sometimes I think I will lose my mind over activism. I feel so left out, I feel like I am screaming at no one. I am so done with mainstream autism activism and I am so done being ignored. I think sometimes that I need to distance myself from activism because this is so hard to cope with emotionally. But at the same time I cannot because I cannot see misinformation and ignore, misinformation makes me furious, injustice against people like me and my friends here makes me absolutely mad. I cannot ignore. Maybe this is a symptom of my own autism, I don't know, if anyone does feel free to let me know. I can't ignore this. Anyways, this post was a vent. I am always very opened to criticism and civil discussions as long as long don't keep your arguments to impact phrases(+) everyone is done listening and as long as you don't block me when I am trying to have a civil discussion.

+ I am not sure if "impact phrases" is the correct word to what I am saying, I had to google this on translator because I don't know how to say this in English. By "impact phrases" I mean very used things without any meaningful thought like "levels are ableist", "levels divide us", "levels are new functioning labels". If you actually believe these things, I am also opened to explain why I (and a lot of higher needs and allies) think this is incorrect.

[willtheweirdrat]

You know, the reason it's so difficult to figure out if I'm level 1 or 2 is that how can I imagine how it's like to live as lvl 1 or 2. Like, it just says "the social deficits are more noticable" like what the FUCK does that mean. How does that even apply to real life. What does "more noticable" even mean. Give me real life examples, explain, ffs.

[ichverdurstehier]

Nonverbal autistics of Tumblr, why do you guys use third person language so often? It seems to be a very common thing

[wronggalaxy]

Autism levels can be so dumb sometimes. Like I get why they're necessary for some people, but also

Level 2= okayish masking skills, mid-support needs, being mostly verbal, and high/average cognitive skills, right?

Except I'm level 2 and can't mask, need help with at least 95% of things but probably more, aren't fully verbal if verbal at all most of the time, and my cognitive skills seesaw between advanced and barely existent.

Despite all this I'm not autistic enough to be level 3. Levels don't help me, they hurt me by associating me with people way more advanced and therefore losing me the few, few help I would get.

I have level 1, 2, and 3 friends and I'm none of them, which is why I'm level 2, but it doesn't work.

[autisticlenaluthor]

I hate when people talk about autistic support in terms of the levels of support people receive. bc what about the people who get nothing? who aren't low support needs but have never been accommodated so they just Suffer?

people who dont take their meds. who dont eat enough. who cant manage their hygiene. who cant do the 'basic' tasks that everyone else can. not because they're lazy or dont want to but because they cant and their physical health (and mental too) decline as a result

when people on here talk about support needs, they always center people who actually have support. but what about the people who've never been accommodated a day in their life? they're forgotten about again and again and again

[bonelessenthusiast]

i hated autism levels until I heard autistic ppl using them. genuinely comfortable referring to myself as level 1 autistic among autistic ppl who understand that level 1 isn’t manic pixie dream girl tiktok autism and i do have issues with employment and eating and my fine motor skills are trash and I won’t be able to live a 100% independent adult life. bc level 1 implies the kind of support and amount of support u need not that u need no support but if I would say I am level 1/lower support needs most people will assume the entirety of my autism experience is being awkward and really into survivor

[mischiefmanifold]

if you genuinely think that autism levels are the same as functioning labels I hope you get run over by a truck

functioning labels have to do with how we come across to allistics and levels have to do with how autism actually affects us

I would be "high functioning" but I'm level 2 autistic

levels are more nuanced than functioning labels

[just-a-queer-fanboy]

Holy SHIT I just had an epiphany

I've had problems showering literally all my life. I'd cry when my parents tried to wash my hair, I had such little energy I'd go up to 2 weeks without showering, and I still need a lot of spoons to bring myself to do it on a regular basis (sitting in the shower works tho).

I always thought I was just depressed, but NO. I have a sensory trigger with stuff on my face!

That's why I freak out while swimming. That's why i hate washing my face. That's why I'd cry if I spilt my drink when I was a kid.

And now that I know that I CAN FIX IT!!!!!! FODJSOSJDF

Happy autism acceptance month yall

[adultautismsymptoms]

Signs of Autism in Toddlers

The signs of autism can vary from person to person. Some children display early signs of the disorder, while others don't show symptoms until they're older. But no matter what the age of your child, it's never too late to get a diagnosis and start getting the support they need to live their best life.

Early Signs of Autism in Babies One of the earliest red flags of autism is an infant who doesn't interact with other babies as well as other babies their age. The baby may not smile back and forth or respond to names, and they may avoid eye contact with their parents.

This behavior isn't normal for an infant and should be reported to their healthcare provider during well-baby visits. Caregivers should also ask for tests to determine if a baby has an autism spectrum disorder.

Some early signs of autism include obsessive-compulsive behaviors such as lining up things in a particular order or preoccupation with a specific topic of interest. This can include memorizing facts about maps, trains, or sports statistics.

Performing repetitive behaviors such as flapping hands, rocking, or twirling can also be an early sign of autism in toddlers. Repeated movements like this can be soothing to the child, but they can also distract them from concentrating on other things.

Self-stimulatory Behaviors (or "stimming") Some people with autism have very strong reactions to certain sensory stimuli, such as touch, taste, or smell. They may react quickly and intensely to these stimuli or they may respond very slowly and gently.

These responses can be more pronounced in toddlers with autism than in typically developing toddlers. For example, an autistic child with an obsession with light switches might flip them repeatedly or they might play with toys such as keys and rubber bands in unusual ways.

Other signs of autism in toddlers include difficulties interacting with other children and difficulty learning new social situations. These problems often improve with age, but some children will continue to have these issues throughout their lives.

The signs of autism in toddlers and young children can be subtle, but they can make it hard for family members to recognize the differences. For example, a young child with autism might prefer routines and be easily upset by changes in their daily schedules.

High-Functioning ASD Many individuals with autism are diagnosed as having high-functioning autism, also known as Asperger's syndrome. These individuals can often be very bright and excel in school. They might have impressive vocabularies and a strong interest in particular topics or activities, such as art, music, or science.

They might also enjoy talking in an eccentric way, such as using a very wide range of vocabulary or constantly interrupting conversations with other people. This could be seen as a symptom of adult autism diagnosis, but it could also simply be an eccentricity.

A person with high-functioning autism might have a variety of different skills and be able to learn at a faster rate than other people their age. These skills might be a great benefit to the person with autism, but they can also be a barrier to social interaction.

[zebulontheplanet]

Two questions if you don’t mind:

Can level 1 autistics be medium support needs?

What would you say the line between low and medium support needs is in terms of ADLs, generally?

Hi anon! So, the levels of autism and support needs pretty much line up well. So someone with level 1 autism will likely be low support needs, someone with level 2 autism will likely be medium support needs, and someone with level 3 autism will be high support needs.

However, someone with level 1 autism could theoretically be medium support needs. Autism levels aren’t perfect. They don’t take certain things into account, and sometimes professionals will take social and RRB (repetitive and restrictive behaviors) into account when they are diagnosing (which they should), instead of also taking support needs and care into account as well. Could a level 1 be high support needs? No, not at all likely. However, I’ve met level 2s who are high support needs. It all depends.

The line is bADLs. Things like bathing, eating (getting the food from the plate to your mouth), grooming, dressing, toileting, and more is the line. If you can’t do bADLs then you’re higher support needs. If you can, then you’re likely lower support needs.

Again, I’m not a professional, I can’t say if someone is low, medium, or high support needs. I can’t say what level is what. I can’t say anything besides my own research and observations.

Hope this explains some and if you have anymore questions then let me know! Have a lovely day! I also have what support needs mean and what they are in my pinned post in the FAQ post.

[notabled-noodle]

Could you explain a little more about the levels of autism? They're not something I've come across in the UK but I know that they're more of a thing in the US (and apparently Australia too).

the levels of autism are used in any country that uses the DSM. that’s mainly the US, but also some parts of Australia… and maybe New Zealand? most other countries use the ICD

basically, when someone gets diagnosed with autism using the DSM, the person who diagnoses them will give them a “score” from 1 to 3 on each section of the diagnostic criteria (1 being least extreme, 3 being most extreme). most of what gets taken into account for those levels is what observable traits a person has

those scores then gets averaged out to give your level. if you have a 1 for sensory issues, a 2 for repetitive behaviours, and a 3 for social issues, you’ll get level 2. you can’t get diagnosed as level 3 unless you get given level 3 in all areas, so most people end up grouped into level 2.

they don’t always line up with support levels. most level 3 people will be mid-high support, but it gets messy with level 1 and level 2. it’s extremely unlikely for a high support needs autistic to get level 1, but it’s possible to be low support and get level 2.

I hope that makes sense!

[willtheweirdrat]

hello. I have an autism question if that’s ok. so abt support needs (low med high). how do you know which one to call yourself? like. low vs med. med vs high. like the kind of difference that tips u over from low to med and med to high. uhh. personally I don’t think? I’m low idk bc low support needs people generally don’t need help with any basic acts of daily life and I do need help with one and possibly more than one of other things count unsure but definitely grooming/washing. so I guess that puts me either in med or high right? and I also have issues with keeping up with hygiene, eating, drinking, driving, bathroom, not good for me to live alone, etc etc etc. but then you have people using labels like “med-high/med to high” how do I know if I’m that or just med or high by itself! and then people also use “supportflux” hm. what I know is everyone is different and there’s no strict criteria for each and it’s not based off of your level or masking ability or how autistic u appear but based on your overall support needs from autism and everybtjng .

When it comes to levels, it's mostly up to ADLs and IADLs. ADLs are: Walking, eating and drinking, getting dressed and groomed, personal hygiene (showering, brushing teeth, etc), and overall mobility. IADLs are: Shopping, cooking meals, managing finances, managing meditacation, managing the household (cleaning, organizing, etc), transportation, and communication via technology. Levels 1s only need help with a few IADLs, and can live alone or with minimal support. They don't have issues with ADLs. Level 2s need help with most IADLs, and struggle with a few ADLs. They may be able to live alone with support or need to move into assisted living or something else. Level 3s need help all across the board, all IADLs and most ADLs. They can't live independently and need a lot of assistance.

Of course, there are in-betweens, like Level 1-2 and Level 2-3. From what you say, I think you're 2-3, in between levels 2 and 3. Although, I'm not a professional, many people on tumblr know better than me. This is just the basics.

[ichverdurstehier]

Is it possible for someone's autism levels to change due to trauma? Like could a 1.5 go to a 2.5 after being kidnapped and tortured? I'm writing a story

[ojiro-s-hellish-site]

You think of kid that said

'DSM-5 got rid of distinction between aspergers, autism, rett’s, child disintegration disorder, etc. and collapsed it all into autism spectrum disorder, and added levels to denote amount of support needed. level 1 is need support, level 2 is need substantial support,level 3 is need very substantial support. so it is a diagnostic tool that some autistics find helpful. so technically you can’t be explicitly diagnosed with decimal 1.5 2.5, but sometimes clinicians will say “level 2 in restricted repetitive behaviors, level 3 in social language communication.” levels (and honestly overall support needs labels) denote overall, typical functioning. common misconception is “well on good days i’m level 1 but on bad days i’m level 2 or even 3” but that is misunderstanding of levels. yes have bad days yes needs fluctuate, but levels is used to talk about overall typical day, used as summary. you can be level 1 when child but grow up to adult and become level 2 over time, but diagnostically you don’t fluctuate between levels per day.'?

No but I appreciate the information!