Mild vs Moderate vs Severe Autism.

Page 4 of 8 [ 119 posts ] Go to page Previous 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 Next

Previous topic | Next topic

livingwithautism
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 9 Sep 2015
Age: 35
Gender: Female
Posts: 1,337
Location: USA

14 May 2018, 10:17 pm

SplendidSnail wrote:

Dylanperr wrote:

What types of support are there other than direct support?

As far as I'm concerned, any time anyone makes any form of accommodation for your ASD, even if they don't know it's because you have ASD, that's a form of "support".

So, if people at work give me a small number of bigger tasks instead of a large number of small tasks because because they see that I tend to get really stressed out and don't do very whell when when I've got too many things to look at at the same time, that's support. If people go out of their way to include me in a social setting because they see I'm standing around being bored, that's also support.

Thank you, that is a good general way of putting it.

EzraS
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 24 Sep 2013
Gender: Male
Posts: 27,828
Location: Twin Peaks

14 May 2018, 10:39 pm

If left to my own devices I would probably just sit in my underwear in front of my monitor all day. Or decide to go for a walk and get lost or run over. I think I have a fairly good sense of money as far as buying simple stuff like a candy bar goes. But no way that I understand anything about interest rates and budgeting and all that. I constantly forget things. Forget to do things. Always need to be reminded and coaxed. It doesn't have anything to do with intelligence. It's lack of being able to make certain connections neurologically, cognitively, whatever.

livingwithautism
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 9 Sep 2015
Age: 35
Gender: Female
Posts: 1,337
Location: USA

15 May 2018, 7:12 am

EzraS wrote:

I constantly forget things. Forget to do things. Always need to be reminded and coaxed. It doesn't have anything to do with intelligence. It's lack of being able to make certain connections neurologically, cognitively, whatever.

I forget things all the time too. The most annoying thing about this is when I'm aware I've forgotten something. I can't get myself to do things either. I need someone else to get me on track.

Biscuitman
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 11 Mar 2013
Age: 45
Gender: Male
Posts: 2,674
Location: Dunking jammy dodgers

15 May 2018, 1:12 pm

I drove to the shops on Sunday to buy my weekly food and when I arrived i realised I had forgotten my wallet, cash and mobile phone. :lol:

kraftiekortie
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 4 Feb 2014
Gender: Male
Posts: 87,510
Location: Queens, NYC

15 May 2018, 1:17 pm

Oh Man, Biscuit!

I would have been upset----especially driving back home on those British roads, and having to come back through all that traffic.

ASPartOfMe
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 25 Aug 2013
Age: 67
Gender: Male
Posts: 35,907
Location: Long Island, New York

15 May 2018, 1:37 pm

There are several concurrent threads about these severity levels. This is how the DSM manual looks at it. I assume level 1 is equivalent to "mild", level 2 is equivalent to "moderate" and level 3 is equivalent to "severe". Individual clinicians interpret this manual as they please or use the ICD manual. They at times give out the diagnosis not listed in the manuals such a "high functioning autism". Despite all the confusion and problems, this is a rough guide as to what is meant by "mild", "moderate", and "severe" autism

DSM-5 Diagnostic Criteria Autism Spectrum Disorder

Quote:

Severity levels

Level 3
"Requiring very substantial support”
Severe deficits in verbal and nonverbal social communication skills cause severe impairments in functioning, very limited initiation of social interactions, and minimal response to social overtures from others. For example, a person with few words of intelligible speech who rarely initiates interaction and, when he or she does, makes unusual approaches to meet needs only and responds to only very direct social approaches

Inflexibility of behavior, extreme difficulty coping with change, or other restricted/repetitive behaviors markedly interfere with functioning in all spheres. Great distress/difficulty changing focus or action.

Level 2
"Requiring substantial support”
Marked deficits in verbal and nonverbal social communication skills; social impairments apparent even with supports in place; limited initiation of social interactions; and reduced or abnormal responses to social overtures from others. For example, a person who speaks simple sentences, whose interaction is limited to narrow special interests, and how has markedly odd nonverbal communication.

Inflexibility of behavior, difficulty coping with change, or other restricted/repetitive behaviors appear frequently enough to be obvious to the casual observer and interfere with functioning in a variety of contexts. Distress and/or difficulty changing focus or action.

Level 1
"Requiring support”
Without supports in place, deficits in social communication cause noticeable impairments. Difficulty initiating social interactions, and clear examples of atypical or unsuccessful response to social overtures of others. May appear to have decreased interest in social interactions. For example, a person who is able to speak in full sentences and engages in communication but whose to- and-fro conversation with others fails, and whose attempts to make friends are odd and typically unsuccessful.

Inflexibility of behavior causes significant interference with functioning in one or more contexts. Difficulty switching between activities. Problems of organization and planning hamper independence.

If clinicians followed the manual strictly a person with autistic traits who masks successfully SHOULD not be diagnosed and a person who is "severe" should not have the ability to post here.

IMHO among other problems, there is too much emphasis on physical presentation. What if a person cannot do "a few words of intelligible speech" but can text ok?

_________________
Professionally Identified and joined WP August 26, 2013
DSM 5: Autism Spectrum Disorder, DSM IV: Aspergers Moderate Severity

“My autism is not a superpower. It also isn’t some kind of god-forsaken, endless fountain of suffering inflicted on my family. It’s just part of who I am as a person”. - Sara Luterman

Last edited by ASPartOfMe on 15 May 2018, 6:12 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Biscuitman
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 11 Mar 2013
Age: 45
Gender: Male
Posts: 2,674
Location: Dunking jammy dodgers

15 May 2018, 4:31 pm

kraftiekortie wrote:

Oh Man, Biscuit!

I would have been upset----especially driving back home on those British roads, and having to come back through all that traffic.

I live out in the countryside, I got stuck behind a tractor on the way home!

I declared OPERATION FOOD SHOPPING a failure when I got home so didn't try again.

Didn't know we had a reputation for busy roads tbh :?:

kraftiekortie
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 4 Feb 2014
Gender: Male
Posts: 87,510
Location: Queens, NYC

15 May 2018, 7:21 pm

I guess I'm thinking more of London and other cities.

I have trouble with the curves and narrowness of British roads. I'd have to get used to them, though, if I want to live in the UK.

Lumi
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 7 Sep 2012
Gender: Female
Posts: 1,513
Location: Positive-minded

15 May 2018, 7:37 pm

I don't know if I'm moderate, but I do dress, eat and clean myself without help from someone and take daily care of our cats and daily cleaning (like wash dishes). As for daily social contact, I go to my mom (50/50 relationship of parent and kid/roommate) in another room; during the week I go to our church, otherwise frequently at home.

I am considered verbally and conversationally fluent, albeit it depends on the location, how I am that day, etc. In other words, are you a stranger to me, or someone I know well? I react somewhat differently.

_________________
Slytherin/Thunderbird

Trogluddite
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 2 Feb 2016
Age: 53
Gender: Male
Posts: 3,075
Location: Yorkshire, UK

15 May 2018, 8:16 pm

ASPartOfMe wrote:

IMHO among other problems, there is too much emphasis on physical presentation.

I'd also add that there's too much assumption that those signs will be consistent across time and situations - as Lumi just said, context makes a big difference. Level 1 (as per my diagnosis) fits me pretty well when I am alone or with people I trust, in a predictable environment, and emotionally stable. Put me under stress (multi-tasking to tight deadlines at work, for example), or see me when I am struggling with anxiety/depression, and level 2 features will quickly become apparent (e.g. visible stimming and incoherent speech). Though I have become quite good at avoiding meltdown situations, when they do occur, I could even be indistinguishable from level 3 at times - partial shut-downs can render me completely non-verbal and prone to running off and putting myself in danger, for example.

When I had my assessment, they made a lot of effort to make me feel at ease with the people, process and location - but I'm not sure now if that was a good idea, as what they will have observed wasn't very representative of how I behave in the situations where my traits give me the most difficulty. Averaging out my level might make me "level one-and-a-bit", but gives no indication of the support I might need at the worst times, and disregards any need for pro-active support to help avoid those "worst times" (which makes me thankful for places like WrongPlanet!)

_________________
When you are fighting an invisible monster, first throw a bucket of paint over it.

skibum
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 18 Jul 2013
Age: 57
Gender: Female
Posts: 8,374
Location: my own little world

17 May 2018, 8:51 am

I am definitely a level one but at times I dip into a level two.

_________________
"I'm bad and that's good. I'll never be good and that's not bad. There's no one I'd rather be than me."

Wreck It Ralph

Dylanperr
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 1 Jan 2018
Age: 20
Gender: Male
Posts: 2,756
Location: Somewhere In A Boreal Forest

28 Sep 2018, 3:18 pm

whatamievendoing wrote:

I'm mild.

Why?

salowevision
Blue Jay

Joined: 18 Aug 2017
Gender: Male
Posts: 78

01 Oct 2018, 8:26 pm

I don't get this question. Have any of you read The Reason I Jump? Can you speak? Can you read? Can you write? Your autism is mild.

Arganger
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 30 Apr 2018
Age: 23
Gender: Female
Posts: 1,707
Location: Colorado

01 Oct 2018, 8:41 pm

salowevision wrote:

I don't get this question. Have any of you read The Reason I Jump? Can you speak? Can you read? Can you write? Your autism is mild.

Really foolish assumtion.
Most autistic people, including a lot of people seen as low functioning, can say at least a few words.
Many who cannot can still read or write. So long as you bother to teach them.

Few would say that Carly Fleischmann is high functioning, yet she wrote an entire book.

The spectrum is diverse in how it affects people, not everyone will have exactly the same traits, and a few select traits do not determine ability to support yourself.

_________________
Diagnosed autistic level 2, ODD, anxiety, dyspraxic, essential tremors, depression (Doubted), CAPD, hyper mobility syndrome
Suspected; PTSD (Treated, as my counselor did notice), possible PCOS, PMDD, Learning disabilities (Sure of it, unknown what they are), possibly something wrong with immune system (Sick about as much as I'm not) Possible EDS- hyper mobility type (Will be getting tested, suggested by doctor) dysautonomia

salowevision
Blue Jay

Joined: 18 Aug 2017
Gender: Male
Posts: 78

01 Oct 2018, 8:57 pm

Arganger wrote:

salowevision wrote:

I don't get this question. Have any of you read The Reason I Jump? Can you speak? Can you read? Can you write? Your autism is mild.

I think a lot of us suffer to great degree. I don't think anyone on the spectrum should be taken lightly but severe autism is an infernal nightmarish existence that most of us could never even fathom. If you have the wherewithal and situational awareness to go online, read a post, ponder a response and type it out clearly and eloquently then your autism is the farthest thing from severe. Admitting the agonizing bane of your existence to be mild compared to others is a difficult pill to swallow; but don't confuse yourself as this christ-like figure with the weight of the world on your shoulders. Yes your cross is heavy; but it is not the heaviest by a long shot.

Yea the author of the book I mentioned also 'wrote a book' but he had LOADS of help from his care team and he couldn't even type it up himself.

Benjamin the Donkey
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 7 Mar 2017
Age: 61
Gender: Male
Posts: 1,382

01 Oct 2018, 10:36 pm

"Level 1"... can live without support UNLESS there's major upheaval , chaos or stress on my life. Then I become much less able to cope, and social skills, sensory issues and executive functioning all become much worse.

_________________
"Donkeys live a long time. None of you has ever seen a dead donkey."

Page 4 of 8 [ 119 posts ] Go to page Previous 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 Next

Jump to:

Mild vs Moderate vs Severe Autism. Post Reply New Topic

Mild vs Moderate vs Severe Autism.