Published on 12, July, 2020
Hi everyone ️
I've just been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder without disorder of intellectual development and with mild or no impairment of functional language.
Can anyone explain this to me as I don't know what all that means? People I've spoke to are like asking me what scale I'm on what type of autism I have and I'm just at a loss to figure any of this out so any kind people understand what that means please
Thankyou have a wonderful evening
Hi
Congratulations on your diagnosis and welcome to the community!
By the sound of it, you were diagnosed under ICD-11 guidelines, which don't use a scale for autism diagnoses.
Diagnoses made under the other major classification guidelines - called DSM-V - do include specifying which one of three different levels of support needs you have as a consequence of being autistic. Level 1 = requires support, Level 2 - requires substantial support, Level 3 - requires very substantial support.
Just for info, in respect of related terms: Asperger syndrome (previously used under ICD-10) is no longer used as a diagnostic term. And high functioning autism has never been a diagnostic term, under either set of guidelines.
More info here:
Understanding the diagnostic criteria
The NAS also has a great set of resources to help guide you, as newly diagnosed autistic person. I recommend having a browse and read:
https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/topics/diagnosis/after-diagnosis
Did your report have a support level? Maybe that is what they mean by scale. Some don't, from what I have seen.
Welcome! You are in the right place.
It just means basically there is a spectrum in terms of autism and there is something called ‘profound autism’ also know as level 3 autism or it has also been known as hellers disease or childhood disintegrative disorder. Level 1 autism also known as Asperger’s syndrome or high functioning autism is people who are just born a bit different who can still communicate and live normal lives and live independently on occasion. Level 2 autism is somewhere in between 1 and 3. Hope this makes sense. Some autistic people may argue with you though about whether there are actually and differentiation between all the spectrum levels. Some of us don’t believe there is such extreme differences and that we all cope differently in different and varying ways. I personally believe that I am not struggling with autism in the same way or to the same severity as someone who cannot speak or communicate anything almost at all. I am privileged in the sense that I have what I like to think of as a half neurotypical/ half neurodivergent brain. This allows me to communicate my basic needs enough so that I can live at least a semi okay life. Whereas someone who can only talk through a laptop or an iPad and can’t actually speak words I would definitely say they have life harder than me and deserve more support than me. That’s fair.