Level Of Autism And Treatment

Table of Contents

The level of autism ranges from mild impairments that require minimal therapy and intervention to severe impairments that need intensive, multi-disciplinary, and high levels of support.

Autism is a developmental disorder where people struggle with social, communication, and behavioral issues. it starts from childhood and lasts till adulthood and may be a lifelong condition. even a mild form of autism required ongoing therapy and monitoring for the long term.

What are the Levels of Autism

DSM- 5 of the American Psychiatric Association (APA) categorizes autism into 2 groups of symptoms. One for impairment in social functioning and the other for the restriction and repetitiveness of certain behaviors. And later assigned a level of 1, 2, or 3 based on the severity of the symptoms.

These levels are known as “levels of support,” as they help doctors, caregivers, therapists, and parents understand the autistic’s ability to communicate, respond to situations or environments, understand their restricted interests, and manage routine life on a daily basis. And the doctor will assign the appropriate levels. and the parent needs to be clear and transparent while meeting the therapist, psychiatrist, and doctors to get the right treatment or level of support.

Level 1 Autism

Level 1 autism is the least severe diagnosis of autism. Patients with Level 1 autism have some social difficulties like difficulties maintaining or starting conversations or responding inappropriately. It is noticed that they might not be able to make eye contact properly while talking.

People at the Level 1 tier can also indicate “inflexible behaviors,” meaning that they face difficulty to adapt to changing situations or contexts. for example, If they learn something in school, they might fail to apply that learning at the home. A change in their schedule, in school or home or any routine, is particularly challenging for people with level 1 autism. And they required help with organizing and planning their routines and schedules.

it is a good thing that people with Level 1 autism can maintain a high-functioning level of life and require only minimal therapies or other forms of support. With consistent work, behavioral therapy with consistent work can help Level 1 patients acquire positive and lasting behaviors.

Therapies for Level 1 Autism

Applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy is usually considered one of the best autism treatments, but some experts argue against it and they believe ABA is an intensive program that is designed and useful for Levels 2 or 3 of autism. and this group of experts suggests that developmental therapy or play therapy, which focuses on communication, interactivity, and emotional growth, could be better for level 1 autism.

And is not limited to the above group some other doctors believe that every person with autism can benefit from ABA at a certain point.

Finally, the decision should be made depending on the condition and after analyzing every respect and it differs from the case by case.

Level 2 Autism

People with Level 2 autism require substantially more support than Level 1 autism as above described. These people found more noticeable and severe social deficits, which makes them difficult to make conversation.

Even after receiving help, they may not be able to speak or communicate clearly, in this case, they might respond or act inappropriately to your question. In other words, they might not have any response at all to social cues or any questions and interactions.

People with Level 2 autism either say few words or talk about a few to very specific topics in minute detail. Making eye contact, and looking at the person while talking is very difficult for people at this level.

People with Level 2 autism have inflexible behaviors that can interfere with everyday life and functioning. People at this level always struggle more with changes, new experiences, or sudden unexpected happening.

Therapies for Level 2 Autism

Some Level 2 individuals might receive sensory integration therapy depending on their conditions which helps them to deal with sensory inputs that can feel them threatening and overwhelming.

Such outputs include:

Strong smells.
Loud or unexpected noises.
Flashing lights.
Vivid visual changes.

people with Level 2 autism may also need occupational therapy, which helps them develop the necessary skills to carry out their daily tasks.

Applied behavior analysis(ABA) is commonly used with individuals with level 2 autism. the combination of occupational therapy and ABA therapy is the best form of treatment that can help them to understand how to interact with their environment and the people around them.

Level 3 Autism

Level 3 autism is the most severe form of autism. People at this level have the most debilitating and disruptive impairments in their verbal and nonverbal communication skills. If these individuals feel they have to respond then they respond only and their interactions may be very limited.

This level of autism compels very repetitive and rigid behaviors. People will react very negatively to changes, even resorting to violence. They might become deeply distressed and inconsolable and start self-harming.

Level 3 autistic patients need frequent, intensive therapy. In contrast to Levels 1 and 2, Level 3 treatment must address all of the person’s limitations, not only communication and conduct. Additionally, medication may be given to those with Level 3 symptoms in order to treat their more damaging and dangerous symptoms.

Therapies for Level 3 Autism

All levels of autism can benefit from applied behavior analysis therapy, but Level 3 patients particularly benefit from it. It can be used anywhere, which makes it much simpler

The first step in ABA therapy is to create a positive association between the patient and the therapist. Regardless of how severely limiting Level 3 autism is, the autistic receives the support necessary to overcome these limitations.

The assistive communication devices (ACDs), which are specialized tools that can support and improve communication for clients regardless of the speech abilities or limitations imposed on them by their autism, will be used by the registered behavior technician (RBT) who is implementing the ABA therapy. These techniques can help the client become more independent, improve their communication skills, and increase their social network.

Diagnosis for the Levels of autism

Clinicians must do a number of evaluations to determine the level of autism. Doctors can rule out potential genetic disorders or other mental health imbalances by taking into account behavioral symptoms, communication issues, environmental factors, family history, and many other data points. There is no imaging or scan that can identify autism.

Patients and their families will be questioned by clinicians on a variety of topics, including their social lives, daily routines, and pastimes. Psychological evaluations will assist clinicians in determining the appropriate level to support the need to provide the patient, which will help in making a treatment strategy.

Still, all the autism levels are not clearly defined categories. it is possible there may be many people who will not perfectly fit a Level 1, 2, or 3 diagnoses. Therefore it is extremely likely that a person may advance from level to level as more is learned about the unique manifestations of autism.

Still, the levels are important as they provide the base to design a treatment plan and achieve goals.

Other Forms of Autism

The three levels do not fairly reflect all types of autism. Since the impairment is a spectrum disorder, some of its forms don’t fall within these specified levels. Asperger’s syndrome apparently went untreated because people didnot recognises it symtopms.

Treatment Approaches

Still there is no medication that is specifically made for autism, in this case doctors prescribe purely drugs to manage specific symptoms. And the whole world is rely on extensive therapy to speak to the autism itself.

Education and behaviour therapy might concentrate on the specific areas that younger children find most difficult in addition to medication.

In an academic context, therapists with a narrow focus can strive to advance students’ social and linguistic communication abilities. A child with autism may benefit from this by being able to initiate and carry on conversations with peers and teachers, and subsequently, use those skills on other grounds. All of this is done with the intention of teaching the kids how to live independently.

Family members or other caregivers who interact with the child frequently are involved in other types of therapy.

The Right Treatment Planing and strategy

The severity of an autistic individual provides therapists with a foundational structure to make strategies accordingly. Treatment will be significantly different for someone with Level 1 autism who just shows mild symptoms than for someone with Level 3 autism who is nonverbal.

The severity of autism will affect the treatment approach, but even then, treatment plans are extremely personalized for each patient. For instance, no two people with the same level of autism will receive the same course of treatment.

The good news is that therapy has significant positive effects on autistic individuals of all levels. And Autism is often treated with ABA therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy, and certain drugs. although therapies can’t cure the disorder, these therapies can assist individuals in managing autistic symptoms, reducing problematic behaviors, and developing abilities that help them in daily life, even though they cannot treat the illness.