What is everyone's problem with the ASD Level System?

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My psychiatrist said he didn’t see autism in me at all, not even level 1. He didn’t mention he’s not changing the diagnosis whether I still have autism or not. Today I was removed from regular therapy and put in “as needed” sessions so I’m beginning to think maybe they’re right about me being misdiagnosed with autism. But I see all the symptoms in myself so they probably just want to tell me I don’t appear autistic and drop the special care I been getting for autism so they can target only my schizoaffective disorder and bipolar. I think I‘ve always been level 1 but they don’t see it often because I only see my psychiatrist once every 6-8 weeks and if anything I’m moving down to a level 2 because I’m getting less help with it. I’d love to still be identified with autism just for the support. I was happy when I got that special treatment.

Define "Requiring support" means.

I understand it is a form of required accommodation and access to service.

However, it doesn't say much if and how the condition is manageable, can be improved upon and can potentially attain independence.


If levels are actually about accomodations, it implies management.
Ranging from lifestyle changes, to uses of assistive technology, to meds and therapy.
Regardless of one's level of independence or dependence.


If levels are actually just functioning levels, it implies attained levels of dependence or independence.
Usually one is either is or isn't.
Can this person take responsibility in all or at least in crucial aspects of daily living without assistance, or not?

It won't matter if the person with conditions doesn't need a change of lifestyle, or is taking several hours worth of therapy, multiple meds and uses assistive extensive equipments everyday.


So which of the two actually does define closer the statement "Requiring Support"?


Does "Requiring Substantial Support" mean?

An intellectually disabled person, may or may not be physically disabled, who likely won't improve to perform any basic daily living independently no matter the treatment received, and cannot be left alone but otherwise very healthy, very well behaved and best living happily at some safe home without needing trips to the doctors?
Not functioning well but very manageable and very basic on daily maintenance.

Or a still working and still responsible disabled person who uses several technologies, goes through several systems to navigate independently, takes several meds per day and has several doctor appointments per week to keep up their shape?
Functioning but high upkeep on management and maintenance.


Yeah, seems like two extremes.
Not that I have an actual problem -- because it's just irrelevant in my circumstances.
But I'm curious...

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There are plenty of people with ID who live independently, have jobs, get married and have kids.

Nearly every disorder has different levels and requires different support, it's just life. You have to tick certain boxes to get support with anything, not just autism. It's just the way the cookie crumbles in this society.

It does my head in when people on the spectrum say there is no such thing as functioning levels. I think high-functioning Aspies don't want to admit that they're how they are, that they want to be more severely affected for some reason. I'm not saying they don't deserve any support, but you still can't deny the fact that some Aspies have more capabilities than other Aspies (Aspies=all people on the spectrum).

And it's not always down to intelligence. It's no good using the "my friend is non-verbal and cannot live independently but she can complete Rubiks cubes and other complicated puzzles" argument, because that person is still around the low-functioning end of the spectrum. Functioning levels mean independence, masking, social awareness, communication skills, etc. Everyone on the spectrum has their own set of skills and functioning abilities and difficulties but it's more down to how each individual's severity of symptoms can be grouped together to form an average of how the person functions daily. That's where the functioning level appears. It may not fit neatly like a puzzle piece but it's just all about the mode (as in the mathematical term).

Ah, my post sounds unusually intelligent for me.

From the U.S. HHS Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC):

"DSM-5 Diagnostic Criteria"

Table 2 describes the DSM-5 criteria for ASD severity level.