The Three Levels of Autism

Level 1 is the mildest, or “highest functioning” form of autism, which includes those who would have previously been diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome. Individuals with ASD level 1 may have difficulty understanding social cues and may struggle to form and maintain personal relationships. A child with level 1 autism may understand and speak in complete sentences, but have difficulty engaging in back-and-forth conversation.

Children with ASD level 1 experience some inflexibility of behavior, like difficulty switching between tasks, staying organized, and planning.

Social communication and repetitive behaviors present themselves more obviously in children with ASD level 2 than in children with level 1 autism. Children on this level have challenges in verbal and nonverbal communication, as well as reduced or abnormal responses to social cues.

Inflexibility of behavior is also more pronounced than in ASD level 1. Repetitive behaviors appear more frequently and may be obvious to casual observes. Likewise, children with level 2 autism may have difficulty coping with changes in routine, which can cause challenging behavior.

ASD Level 3 is characterized by severe challenges in social communication, as well as extremely inflexible behavior. Children with Level 3 Autism may be non-verbal or non-vocal, with limited functional communication or impediments in vocal speech. Initiation of social interactions may be very limited, along with response to others. An individual at this level may interact with others abnormally, and only to meet immediate needs.

Individuals with Level 3 Autism exhibit marked inflexibility of behavior, with extreme difficulty coping with changes in routine. At this level, restrictive or repetitive behaviors interfere with the individual’s ability to function. Changing focus from one activity to another may come at great difficulty and cause significant distress.