What do the autism severity levels mean?
A formal diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) under DSM-5 assigns severity levels at time of diagnosis for each of the two domains, A) social communication and social interaction, and B) restricted and repetitive behaviour. These levels are:
- Level 1 – Requiring Support
- Level 2 – Requiring Substantial Support
- Level 3 – Requiring Very Substantial Support.
It is important to note that the severity levels are only an indicator of level of support at time of a diagnosis, and will change over time, so the level of support a person requires will vary.
