Mild vs Moderate vs Severe Autism.

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I'm level 2

Diagnosis is mild to moderate but I think I’m high functioning.

Undiagnosed. Suspecting level 1 or PDD-NOS.

I have become independent from the reality that there is no help for someone in my context. I associate failure with severely negative life outcomes, and that drives adaption. It also contributes to heightened vulnerability to stress, and the more independent I have to be, the worse my mental state becomes. I don't really do it very well and am constantly in crisis. It always feels like it's about to collapse, and sometimes it does.

My current job is the only one I've had that doesn't cause a psychological crisis. It pays horribly but it is intellectual and plays on my strengths. I am highly intimidated by the notion of trying to survive outside of this job as it has not gone well in the past. I see immigration to acquire a better degree as my only realistic path to ensure dignified living. Persistence of the current reality will lead to ruin or worse. I feel scared all of the time and sometimes go into terror states whenever changes occur.

I have improved with image presentation maintenance, although I still struggle with things like regularly eating and other life skills. I do just enough to hold on.

The biggest issues I have are that I don't build social networks outside of superficial ones at work, serious issues with executive functioning outside of work, and psychological fragility to stress.

I'm guessing from the Asperger's dx I'd be classified as mild. That doesn't tell the whole story . Schizophrenia +probable dyspraxia + probable learning difficulty(rather low fluid intelligence) can be thrown into the mix .

Since I've been here I've had more support than I have had in Essex. There's an annual care act assessment which I never had in Essex. Someone comes in twice a week to keep the place clean. My stepdaughter comes with me to appointments. She takes me shopping,guides me round the aisles and packs the stuff at the checkout. She helps out in other common sense and practical ways as well. I function much better with the support I get. Hygiene, which was poor, has improved.My stepdaughter gently chides me if my clothes are marked and need changing . In Essex without that support I was self neglecting.

My diagnosis of ASD did not specify a severity level, but looking back on my records and seeing the results on some of the tests, I'd say I have mild to moderate autism, probably more on the mild side. It's hard to say. I'm probably considered to be "high-functioning" but I can't work full time because of burnout/shutdown and social/sensory problems. I also have trouble doing a full college work load, so I only take around 3 classes a semester.

Apparently, when my mom did the parent evaluation part of the test, she rated my social deficits/symptoms to be much more severe than I ever realized. I don't know. Does it even matter? I've spent way too much time trying to figure it out.

Three classes is not a bad workload, actually.

That's pretty good.

I used to only take two classes at a time when I went to college.

Excuse perhaps the conversion of the severity table to listings but here follows:

DSM-5TM Diagnostic Criteria

Autism Spectrum Disorder 299.00 (F84.0)

A. Persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction across multiple contexts, as manifested by the following, currently or by history (examples are illustrative, not exhaustive; see text):

1. Deficits in social-emotional reciprocity, ranging, for example, from abnormal social approach and failure of normal back-and-forth conversation; to reduced sharing of interests, emotions, or affect; to failure to initiate or respond to social interactions.

2. Deficits in nonverbal communicative behaviors used for social interaction, ranging, for example, from poorly integrated verbal and nonverbal communication; to abnormalities in eye contact and body language or deficits in understanding and use of gestures; to a total lack of facial expressions and nonverbal communication.

3. Deficits in developing, maintaining, and understanding relationships, ranging, for example, from difficulties adjusting behavior to suit various social contexts; to difficulties in sharing imaginative play or in making friends; to absence of interest in peers.

Specify current severity:

Severity is based on social communication impairments and restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior (see Severity Listings 1, 2 and 3 below).

B. Restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities, as manifested by at least two of the following, currently or by history (examples are illustrative, not exhaustive; see text):

1. Stereotyped or repetitive motor movements, use of objects, or speech (e.g., simple motor stereotypes,
lining up toys or flipping objects, echolalia, idiosyncratic phrases).

2. Insistence on sameness, inflexible adherence to routines, or ritualized patterns of verbal or nonverbal
behavior (e.g., extreme distress at small changes, difficulties with transitions, rigid thinking patterns,
greeting rituals, need to take same route or eat same food every day).

3. Highly restricted, fixated interests that are abnormal in intensity or focus (e.g., strong attachment to or preoccupation with unusual objects, excessively circumscribed or perseverative interests).

4. Hyper- or hyporeactivity to sensory input or unusual interest in sensory aspects of the environment (e.g., apparent indifference to pain/temperature, adverse response to specific sounds or textures, excessive smelling or touching of objects, visual fascination with lights or movement). Specify current severity:

Severity is based on social communication impairments and restricted, repetitive patterns of
behavior (see 'Severity level [listings] for autism spectrum disorder' below).

C. Symptoms must be present in the early developmental period (but may not become fully manifest until social demands exceed limited capacities, or may be masked by learned strategies in later life).

D. Symptoms cause clinically significant impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of current functioning.

These disturbances are not better explained by intellectual disability (intellectual developmental disorder) or global developmental delay. Intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorder frequently co-occur; to make comorbid diagnoses of autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disability, social communication should be below that expected for general developmental level.

Note: Individuals with a well-established DSM-IV diagnosis of autistic disorder, Asperger’s disorder, or pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified should be given the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder. Individuals who have marked deficits in social communication, but whose symptoms do not otherwise meet criteria for autism spectrum disorder, should be evaluated for social (pragmatic)
communication disorder.

Specify if:

With or without accompanying intellectual impairment

With or without accompanying language impairment

Associated with a known medical or genetic condition or environmental factor
(Coding note: Use additional code to identify the associated medical or genetic condition.)

Associated with another neurodevelopmental, mental, or behavioral disorder
(Coding note: Use additional code[s] to identify the associated neurodevelopmental, mental, or behavioral disorder[s].)

With catatonia (refer to the criteria for catatonia associated with another mental disorder for definition)
(Coding note: Use additional code 293.89 [F06.1] catatonia associated with autism spectrum disorder to indicate the presence of the comorbid catatonia.)

Severity level [listings] for autism spectrum disorder:

Severity level 3 “Requiring very substantial support”

Social communication.
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.

Restricted, repetitive behaviors
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.

Severity level 2 “Requiring substantial support”

Social communication.
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 who has markedly odd nonverbal communication.

Restricted, repetitive behaviors
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.

Severity level 1 “Requiring support”

Social communication.
Without supports in place, deficits in social communication cause noticeable impairments. Difficulty initiating social interactions, and clear examples of atypical or unsuccessful responses 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.

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

https://images.pearsonclinical.com/imag ... sorder.pdf

_________________
I reserve the right or is it left to at very least be wrong

I'm Level 2 moderate autism.

No doubt I am mild AS.

I am not sure about my anxiety though and my ADD. I would guess my anxiety is mild-moderate and my learning disability is "severe" because that is what I read in something from 3rd grade, either my report card or my IEP.

I'm classed off as mild... Because I appear like a mild case. And I'd rather be.


If I were not verbal enough, or that I start off as too clumsy, or that I got no real motivation to be independent and figure things myself...
Basically, I'm just one criteria away from anything away from aspergers. Things would've been very different.


Aspergers is not really equal to autism level 1.
If being more verbal makes an aspergian regardless of 'functioning levels' -- would that mean a severely dyspraxic yet with superior verbal presentation is internally more of an aspie than me?
And the reason why I ended up with the label it's because of the overall verbal ability overestimation of aspergers, and yet many equates this also means being autism level 1 -- for not having a severe comorbid that presents a more severe level of autism?

Gained Number Post Count (1).
Lose Time (n).

Lose more time here - Updates at least once a week.

I get the impression that ASD levels are purely to do with support needed for your ASD . However if you have co-morbids they might not accurately reflect your overall functioning and the level of support you need.

A person with ASD level 1 is different from one with ASD level 1 +schizophrenia

I have what people call moderate autism. I don't initiate conversations and I don't usually talk around people unless I am very comfortable around them. I struggle with hygiene such as showering.

I also struggle a lot in school due to learning and behavior problems. I have meltdowns at school too. It also takes me a long time to learn things and I need things to be repeated a lot. I am in mostly special education classes because of that. I have friends at school though. They also have autism. I am also dating a girl that I met at school who also has autism. When I am in non special education classes, people are nice to me usually. I always manage to find a partner in partner projects or group projects because of that. Also I like to wear band shirts and shirts with cool stuff on them. I also have a tattoo which people ask about a lot. When I do talk it is usually about my special interests which are Horses, Music and Tattoos. I wear music shirts and horse shirts.

I do horseback riding and it helps with my confidence. I talk more when I do it. I also like horses a lot. I know how to pick hooves and how to put a saddle on. I do need some assistance though. It is really nice to have an hour out of the week to do that.

I stim a lot. I like to flap my hands when I am excited, I open and close my hand when I feel bored or when I cant sit still. I rock back and forth when I am stressed out and I pace. I used to skip when I was excited or jump. I also spin but I am not supposed to do that.

A lot of people assume that I do not have a large vocabulary. I have processing issues when it comes to talking that make it difficult to say what I want to say. I get anxious and frustrated, also I don't always like talking. People are concerned that I am so quiet all the time. I want to talk sometimes but it is scary to be honest. I do talk about my special interests though. I just choose to use words that are easy to say. I have a lot of social anxiety. People are sometimes very understanding though. For example people will ask for stuff on my behalf. Also once in regular class a teacher said the long version of my name and another student let them know that I like the shortened version because they could sense that I didn't like the long version. The person was my table mate and I thanked them. I am working on self advocacy in school but I am also working on other things that are more important. People seem to be accepting that I don't like to talk or that it gives me anxiety. I am exempt from presentations and stuff like that.

I am Moderate ASD, with no learning disability.

Comorbid: Complex Trauma, Agoraphobia, MDD, GAD, Selective Mutism

I am Moderate Autism along with having Mild Red-Green Colour Blindness.