ASD levels of supports

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There is level 1,2 and 3 ASD, but I think there should be level 4 ASD. at Level four ASD, you are profoundly intellectually disabled at this point.

ASD level 4 is the very most severe form of Autism.

It tend to treat ASD as a spectrum from lower IQ to high IQ.

ASD is a broad developmental disorder.

IQ and delusions has nothing to do with Autism.

I am sorry for using the wrong word!

I just want to validate that there is something wrong with my brain.

The levels are only there to help insurance companies and social care put a figure on how much resources are needed.

Who knows what's going on inside the brain on someone who's Level 4, as you put it. Might just be a war going on and they can't break through at all to the world around them. I don't believe it's possible to test the level 3 for what they really know. They are so easily distracted. So caught up in their own stuff it's just pointless to make an assessment. With that said I'm sure they could answer it if they wanted.

Thank you! I understood.

It sometimes can be used for insurance.

Sadly, when a profound intellectual disability is indistinguishable from a vegetative state, there is simply not much needed support -- housing, nourishment, hygienic, and medical/palliative care may be all that is needed.

It makes sense.

There were many studies made trying to distinguish between Autism and Asperger's - in the end there was no qualitative differences found only quantitative. Study after study and no real differences - no way to statistically differenciate someone with high functioning autism and someone diagnosed Asperger's. The idea of adding a quantitative measure to the DSM (or two really) was meant to address that.

But two axis may not really be enough. And there is also co-occurring (also called co-morbid which means "in the same body") conditions. Frankly if you read the DSM eventually you will realize that it is all qualitative "observable behavior" - and the only observer may be a human being - never a piece of equipment or a computer - so the entire DSM is subjective and not objective - but it tries to make those subjective observations as scientific as possible. If you compare it to neurology where you are measuring microseconds of response time it seems very subjective. If you compare it to physics where you are measuring things like length and mass and volume - it seems very very subjective. But since humans are too complicated for equipment and computers to really figure out - using a human as the "measuring equipment" is about the best we can do. Even the quantitative measures added to the DSM-V for ASD are in the form of a rubric, with short paragraphs in each box. The "fits" or "not fits" is still something the is a matter of opinion - hopefully trained, expert opinion - but none-the-less. And the text surrounding the rubric says the professional can and should give "half points" if he/she things that would me more accurate, so there are really more than 3 levels.
I looked at this very carefully because my son was diagnosed just after the DSM-V came out and I looked carefully at both the DSM-IV and the DSM-V - plus we waited until the DSM-V came out so we wouldn't have to be re-evaluated.
DS21 was diagnosed ADHD and ASD - which wouldn't have been possible under the DSM-IV (unless we found a real maverick).

Thank you! It makes sense.

For the purposes of the public school system in the USA - ADHD and ASD are entirely different diagnosis. They are different "words" in the federal law and they translate to different support professionals in the public school system and different accommodations. Each word in the federal law was turned into check boxes and forms and procedures and departments (etc. etc). It shouldn't be this way but it is.

If you are an adult - it is probably not as important. The drafts of the DSM-5 were publicly available on a web site - so I was able to read the proposed changes before they were published. So were many others (perhaps your neurophysiologist). The recommendation to remove the exclusion for ASD / ADHD was recommended by psychologist who disagreed with the exclusion based on their own practice and they drafted the changes.

It was really for the school. Purposes that it mattered to us. I was also worried about my son's sense of self - if two different professionals were giving him two different diagnosis he might ask "who am I really". I was worried because this happened to me.

I don't believe "who am I," be influenced by a diagnosis.

If I'm diagnosed with the Common Cold, I am not merely a Common Cold.

If I'm diagnosed with autism, I am not merely autistic.

That is interesting!

Autism plus vs Autism pure. I don't know how true this is.

Thank you! I will look into it.