Published on 12, July, 2020
One thing I've always struggled with since being on this forum and understanding more about autism, is the fact that levels are no longer used.
I understand the idea of the spectrum and that we can all shoot off at angles and pick up where something affects us deeply.
However, levels were to do with the amount of support required, so how much a person's functionality is impacted by autism.
Level 1, 'Asperger's Syndrome', 'high functioning' were for people who had what was then termed as 'mild' autism.
I realise that 'mild' probably isn't appropriate for us.
However, there are threads on this forum relating to a 'solution' for autism and 'acceptance'.
I can answer for myself and my own struggles but I feel sometimes that the people who are without speech (some of whom I think are actually on this forum, from reading profiles), who cannot live independently without support, are not taken into account.
This is a reason why I actually find it quite hard to answer these questions, because I see myself as 'level 1', high functioning and I can't answer for people whose lives are so very deeply impacted by their autism and their carers.
I've been assessed re the care act 2014,and the person I regard as my daughter has had a carer's assessment. I'm regarded as being a vulnerable person. If you had a brief interaction with me, where verbal skills were very much to the fore,you might think I'm a bit 'off key' but you would have little idea of how well or not I function. It's sods law that as my mental health has improved my physical health has gone in the opposite direction. I've gone from 14 pills a week to over a 70 a week now. . There's premature osteoporosis,atrial fibrillation.,Barrett's oesophagus,mild iron deficiency anaemia,reduced mobility even after a partial hip replacement. I'm back to the hospital on Wednesday for yet another endoscopy to be done. Primarily for more biopsies to be taken. So far no sign of cancer, but have not had results of the CT scan on my abdomen and pelvis.It could've been a lot worse though if I'd stayed in my 11th floor flat in Southend, and had those falls. Thankfully my brain hasn't turned to mush yet. I'm just about holding my own vs significantly younger people from the high IQ community.
I hope those 70 pills keep you going as best you can for a long time to come. It sounds on first read like a big number but it’s clearly simply the right number.