you say theres no severity levels with autism but

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Both diagrams are correct just depends what context they are used.

Functioning labels are a crude way to describe disability care needs

Someone very disabled will need 24/7 care compared to an aspie who works and lives ok on his own.

So while everyone has strengths and weaknesses as indicated in the 2nd illustration their is a linier spectrum of overall needs which is why there’s ASD 1-3

^ The point is, actual need for care is not fixed through one's life and it can depend a lot on external factors.
I saw my daughter going from some struggles to fully disabled and back again depending on her teachers at school.

ASD "levels" are extremely crude and mostly useful for determining required funding, not for how one is actually doing in life.

I feel cheated, I was not given a level on my assessment.

I guess that makes me Level 1 - requiring support PMSL good luck getting that in the UK.

I don't seem to have any of those levels. Does it mean I don't have autism?

Would an unbiased outside observer agree that you do not have any of those levels?

When I was growing up I had no idea I was "different". Apparently other people could see it, though.

Good luck getting support here, even if it says you need it. It would cost out of pocket, regardless. All my insurance covers is NC headphones. Actually that reminds me I should submit mine.

Yes.

didnt know how else to word the title

Many folks on WP actually DO cry about how "there are no severity levels of autism". So I assume that she is addressing those folks. Makes sense to me.

Well, technically, they're support levels as opposed to "severity" levels, but it's much the same idea.

Oh wait. The chart says severity?

I'm sure my report says Support Level.

Maybe I missed a DSM update somewhere.

I believe it’s “support level.” I’ve never seen “severity” mentioned within the DSM-5.

The DSM-5 wasn’t complete by 2011.

Huh.
It is Severity Level after all, even in my report.
I always thought it was Support Level.

Potato Potato.

*adds to "things you learned today" file*

That chart was from DSM5 even though the date was early.


Here's another link to DSM5 (2013) with the same chart at the end.
It says severity as well.


https://depts.washington.edu/dbpeds/Scr ... eb2013.pdf


There was a DSM5-TR (revised) version released in 2022 but I can't find a direct text link.
Summaries seem to say both "severity" and "support".
The diagnostic criteria haven't changed, but just some minor wording in other areas.

Actually, even Kanner's autism always did include some "high functioning" autistic people. See Leo Kanner's original paper (PDF). And the very first child he diagnosed with autism eventually graduated from college and got a job in a bank. (See Donald Triplett, Wikipedia.)

Indeed. Even in the halcyon days of pre-DSM IV autism, there were reports of children being "high-functioning" and others who "came out of their autism."

As far as "severity" is concerned, my opinion is that it should be left up to the observer (one who observes a person over a decent amount of time) how "severe" one is.