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It looks like they just listed random traits lol. Many autistic folks have all those traits to varying degrees. Repetitive behaviors at level 3? This is just weird.

How do people get such nice places? I'm fearing going homeless from lack of support and failing in general and I see people hanging out in these beautiful homes. (I'm not shaming you! Just an ongoing observation.) I dated an ADHRer who talked over me and others incessantly. It made me feel invisible. Like I was a wall he was simply throwing words at. Also, he was a incredibly loud eater and enjoyed going to restaurants several times a week which was a sensory nightmare.

I suffer from crippling chronic naivety!!!

The "bonus" level two indicator re vocabulary, I have a very large vocabulary and can talk endlessly and coherently about complex ideas when it's my current hyperfocus. But when I've been pulled from my monotropic focus to deal with daily life, and I'm for example trying to describe where the tube of lotion my homesupport worker needs to apply, I might say, "there's... potion... on the counter... on the ...*flails hands* -- tub room!" 😅 because 75% of my brain is still assessing the applicability of the theory of relativity and time dilation to the time perception and speed of mental processing of squirrels and elephants....15% is on what position do I need to hold my body, and remembering to stay there... and 10% -- or less! -- is attempting to process my homesupport worker's question and trying to find the right... rightish, kinda... words to elucidate well-enough the response I have to try to not let fly away in the moments between "ding-ding-ding: word found!" and actually forcing it through my mouth. 😅

I need community! Finally found a ND psychologist who's neuro-affirming. I've almost got my diagnosis after 2 previous attempts w out-of-touch psychologists. I feel I'm Level 2. Connect w me, folks!

LOL at the Spotify wrapped. Mine looks wild every year because there is always one artist/album/song that I can’t put down. This year I was in the top .01% of listeners for a song I discovered last year 😭

Totally hear what you're saying about a financial barrier/ weirdness about online groups that ask for an entry fee. My take is that it can serve as a safety mechanism. Ie the group is (ideally) being moderated and has guidelines in place to make the experience safe for all. I've been in groups that went off the rails b/c there were no 'rules'. Just my 2 cents. If it is helpful, I have listened to a ton of Heidi Preibe videos as I heal my attachment style. It's helped so much in my relationships of all kinds. One thing she said that's helped a lot is that friendships take a long time to build. It worked for me to think of putting myself in situations where friendships are more likely, rather than putting pressure on individual situations.

Very much understand the invisible barrier, it takes time to climb the wall to progress in a task but it can go from a great mental and emotional struggle to not able to do it at all. im currently waiting on being diagnosed but ive had to figure out little by little over the yrs what my support needs are, and constantly have to relearn how much i struggle and didnt realise, i suspect because i can appear to get on with people "normally or well" on good days, but never see what its like on anything less than a good day running on excitement and adrenaline

Oh, the shower one is interesting. Does it relate to sensory things, you turn the shower on and the water comes out cold and then you are hanging around, waiting for the warm water to come through and getting hit with stray cold drops and then once the hot water comes through, you have to add a little cold, so you don't get burnt. Or have I identified a different set of problems? And, yes, I can definitely see how autism might be assigned to something else. I was born with really bad eyesight. They were able to make some improvements but it's still not great and the treatment left me with PTSD. So I (and everybody else) blamed things like my reluctance to make eye contact, or my poor motor skills in some areas on being born nearly blind. And then there's the parental rose-tinted glasses. I am really slow at a lot of housework - because I tend to be a perfectionist and maybe some of those missing motor skills are involved. My mother was still telling me when I was in my 50s that I would "get better with practice". She stopped when I said that I was fifty whatever-it-was and that if I hadn't improved by that age, it wasn't going to happen. One RUclipsr made a very good point about support needs being variable, for example, that when you are at home and relaxed you may be able to manage things that you can't manage in a noisy, crowded environment. I don't know if other people also experience this but I find that I can help other people do things that I struggle with doing for myself, like making difficult telephone calls. I'm good at other people's job applications. I suspect that I am autistic but I do not have a formal diagnosis. As I don't have a formal diagnosis, I assume that I have no/low support needs.

I feel you on the only having 3 levels part because I constantly wonder if I’m truly 1 or 2. Even after watching this video I still wonder lol. If there were more levels, then I definitely feel I’d be in between 1 and 2.

omg *we are twins* I was mis dx'd with depression after I moved, and then mis dx'd w/bipolar b/c, and I quote "you talk too much". And when my family member was dx'd with autism, I went to get "assessed" but was told I couldn't have autism "because you can drive and are nothing like my class of kids I watch" to which I responded, "because I"m an adult woman, I'm not a boy under ten years old, I've learned how to navigate the world", and so I got a *second* opinion and it was autism.

I was diagnosed as Level 1, but everything you said about Level 2s resonated with me. Not sure what to think of this.

My teenager was diagnosed with level 1 but I believe could be level 2. The person doing the assessment said that he put her at level one because she has so much support from us at home (she is homeschooled and we have worked hard to help her gain skills while not overwhelming her with too much life responsibilities) and I think he also saw that, like you, she can speak well. She is very smart. But she is 16 and struggles to do so much. When you mentioned the shower it made sense to me because my daughter cant cut her own fruit. She jokes that she will have to marry someone who is willing to cut fruit for her. She can’t explain why. She doesn’t walk away mid conversation, but she needs help to enter a conversation and will panic if someone isn’t there to support her.

It also depends a lot on if you had anything tag along with the Autism. Im "only" level 1 support needs. BUT I also have ADHD. So I actually need a lot more support than if I was just a level 1 autist. And my QoL goes down A LOT when I don't have support. Like right now, im not living a good quality of life. But because I can communicate. And because I'm still alive with not enough support. Im shoved off and made to think I don't need help. Even though im not theiving what so ever. And am in desperate need if help.

Yep …, that’s why they call it a spectrum. If you’ve met one autistic person, you’ve met one autistic person. We do have some similarities to each other, but we also have many differences from each other & every autistic person is unique, in one way or another, or several ways - just as every person is unique in some way or another, in general. I still don’t know if I’m “level 1”, or “level 2” though. The only thing I do know for sure is that I have ADHD & Complex PTSD on top of being autistic, and I’m still struggling to get a handle on life in general. 🤷🏻‍♀️💜🖖🏼💜🤷🏽

This video made me feel so much less alone. I'm autistic, have PTSD and a speech impediment. I also struggle with cognitive issues and am unable to drive. I can hold down jobs that don't rely on dealing with money as I struggle with math and have worked as hostess for about two and a half years. I'm working on getting a degree to get a "big girl job" and i worry often if I'll even be able fo handle it due to my health issues and burnout! I feel so guilty for relying on others and feeling like a burden. I have an appealing art style so working on getting commissions is something thats been keeping me busy. I know its difficult but at least we aren't totally alone even if we feel like we are.🫂💙

“Haunted House”? So, is it haunted by squirrels & spiders, like the old house one of my old “apartments” was in? Lol! I used to call that place a haunted house. It didn’t help that the address was 1301 & it was located near the corner of 13th & Vermont. We even had a fluffy black cat, a stray, who frequently came over to visit us & the other folks who lived in that house. She used to sleep somewhere in the abandoned house next door. The previous owner of that house must’ve been a hoarder, because that place turned out to be full of all kinds of junk, when the new owners started clearing it out for some repairs & remodeling. She was very sweet & friendly towards people, but she absolutely hated other animals. Sadly, she disappeared only about four or five months after we moved in. I later found out that she had died. I loved that cat, even though I was rather allergic to her. She used to follow me home from the bus stop, whenever I came home from Walmart, or from the plasma center. 😢💔🐈‍⬛💔😢

“Haunted House”? So, is it haunted by squirrels & spiders, like the old house one of my old “apartments” was in? Lol! I used to call that place a haunted house. It didn’t help that the address was 1301 & it was located near the corner of 13th & Vermont. We even had a fluffy black cat, a stray, who frequently came over to visit us & the other folks who lived in that house. She used to sleep somewhere in the abandoned house next door. The previous owner of that house must’ve been a hoarder, because that place turned out to be full of all kinds of junk, when the new owners started clearing it out for some repairs & remodeling. She was very sweet & friendly towards people, but she absolutely hated other animals. Sadly, she disappeared only about four or five months after we moved in. I later found out that she had died. I loved that cat, even though I was rather allergic to her. She used to follow me home from the bus stop, whenever I came home from Walmart, or from the plasma center. 😢💔🐈‍⬛💔😢

This is me

It does seem to me that what the different levels of autism are really describing is how much we inconvenience the neuro-typical community. 😕

I was diagnosed twice (once as a child and once as an adult) as ASD level 1 and got an IQ of 93 the first time and an IQ of 94 the second time and was still diagnosed level 1. My grandma and mom did some of the paperwork, so I definitely think they skewed the results both times. This video made me realize I'm level 2

They diagnosed me ASD level 1 in middle school. The thing is, I burn out easily. I have a really hard time doing well at college and work at the same time. I can only handle going to work less than 20hrs a week because I go to school 4 days a week. I need Monday or Saturday off because otherwise I can't recouperate. I don't have a driver's license. I feed myself because I have an interest in cooking, but I need to prepare vegetables a certain way (sautee or bake) and I have a list of foods I can't eat. I spend most of my time with ear defenders or headphones/earbuds on (I need it to go grocery shopping, do homework or take exams without shutting down). I sometimes need to be reminded to do "basic" things like clean my own room or shower AND brush my teeth (I can usually only manage one. I always brush teeth in the morning, but night can be iffy). I put off shampooing my hair because washing my body and my hair takes a lot out of me. Sometimes I forget to eat or I eat way more than I actually feel comfortable with and then don't feel well. Maybe I should be reevaluated 😅

I'm level 2, but people are my special interest, so I come across to a lot of people as level 1, but I'm pretty sure I would be homeless if I didn't have my support system.

I’m a self diagnosed ADHD artist and a mom of a level 2 autistic kid. The struggle is real. Thank you for sharing ❤

After I was diagnosed I've never really seen anywhere where help could even be asked for for late diagnosed adults regardless of support needs level they are.

There are no levels of autism. This is just rebranded asperger's. Please just use support labels. This is "differently abled" all over again. All we're doing is trying to make ourselves feel better for excluding nonspeaking & high support needs autistics

A Maurice Chevalier laugh is very appropriate for a beret.

this video made me feel so fucking seen as a L2 autistic. thank you

Starts at 6:30

I'm late diagnosed AuDHD and probably fall on the border of level 1 and 2. After a lifetime of whiteknuckling (and the chronic health issues due to that stress) the acceptance of needing support within the process of facing the reality of unmasking was such a hard pill to swallow. It felt so yucky at first. It's so insidious how we're conditioned to take up as little space as possible. Even within the support structures available for disabilities, it's a hard fight because we may present put together, well spoken, etc. It's tiring but we deserve to get the support we need.

Level one here! I believe the problem with this criteria is that it frames ASD as the problem of the autistic individual instead of the problem of society. By problem of society I mean that if there’s no wheelchair ramp, it’s not the person using a wheelchairs fault they can’t access a building but society’s problem to solve and society’s responsibility to build a ramp. So because the people who usually write these criterias most likely don’t have lived experience and are usually medical professionals/ drs who are traditionally trained using the medical model of disability instead of the social model of disability, they can’t make the connection between what they are observing in the individual and what potential support need is behind that autistic persons attempt to communicate that need. For example they miss that becoming distressed at change is not just a “symptom” or a behaviour but it’s also a form of communication from the autistic person that they are having feelings and are experiencing needs that aren’t being acknowledged which is causing them to become distressed. This is a totally normal response to feel distressed in a situation like this but if someone can’t understand there are unmet needs and unacknowledged feelings behind the autistic persons behaviour and communication, they are going to stop short of seeing the unmet needs/emotions and they will just see a list of behaviours and symptoms that will just happen no matter what so they adopt a oh well what can ya do kind of mentality instead of trying to assess the needs and emotions behind the behaviour and communication.

what would you say about a level 2 late diagnosed adult who was in a severe antiautism trauma situation their entire lives, and was forced to learn masking well to survive but that masking well tricks people into thinking they are not needing of support from others? i genuinely believe I cannot work, and cannot be in a social environment on a daily basis, or i think i would undoubtedly end up on a grippy sock vacation. like i always do. even just trying to stay consist with a therapist once a week has been a significant challenge for me. I'm smart and i can mask for about 1 hour, but after that I begin to crash and HARD.

I had good friendships in highschool but most (not all) of my adult friends have been narcissists but I am actually grateful for them because they helped me to value myself because they relentlessly wanted me to believe that I was less valuable than I actually am. And through them I've learned that we all have infinite value and deserve to be loved and respected. At the moment I have no friends and I'm okay with that.

the thing about not being able to turn on the water or barriers to seemingly simple acts sounds like an executive dysfunction thing.

I was never given a label, and sought out a diagnosis at 21-22 because I believed I should know or not if I was on the spectrum. Turns out I was right! Basically every point you made about level 2 felt pretty familiar for me besides the "Everyone noticed" aspect. It's interesting, as I lived in the same area for 21 years. Somehow many people thought I might be autistic, I was bordering on being assessed for autism multiple times including a hypothesis from a doctor wither before or shortly after I was born, and yet once I was the one bringing up the possibility quite a few folks I knew would shut down the idea. I have the feeling it was noticed but not believed or made a priority regardless. I'm 24 and live independently now with my partner who is also neurodivergent. We have had bouts of having to care for each other significantly back and forth, including being the one that works and makes income while the other takes an emergency break. Currently I'm unemployed. I've never been able to work for more than maybe 6 months besides my last job, which was miserable and I was hospitalized twice for psych care. I try to tell people that I feel like I can't live on my own or I would be put in life threatening danger and they never seem to believe me?? I also have several other conditions like depression, anxiety, cptsd and bpd that overlap my audhd and it can come off like my autism isn't the thing causing some more detrimental issues in my life, which probably is and is not true. Regardless I always feel like I have to go out of my way to sacrifice support that allows me to thrive to survive or put someone else's needs first. It's cost me a hell ton. It's incredibly hard when the only support I have right now, truly, is my partner. My family and most health, legal and other industries are all unreliable or inaccessible. The world feels incredibly alien and practically blind to navigate. I really appreciate the information with examples. It can vary greatly from person to person! If it were me I'd consider myself fluctuating between a 1 and 2 depending on the day and whatnot. :^)

I think my diagnosis was most likely a level 1 (I can't remember due to it being several years ago at this point). I have to disagree with it, though. I'm much more likely a level 2. I just barely cling to functioning day to day. Hygiene and food are often issues for me, and I do not currently drive or have a job. I don't know if I could either. But everyone around me thinks I *can* do this stuff, and I'm just... not doing it on purpose or something?? I don't know. The additional stress of talking makes it all worse. I think if I had a choice, I would not speak at all and use an AAC device instead.

I am definitely a level 2, and I think I may have been a level 3 when I was younger. I would meow, bark, spin around for hours and not talk to people. Thanks to bureaucracy though, I don't receive any support services, because my mother refuses to talk to county IDD. I don't suppose anyone reading this has any suggestions...

I totally understand that feeling of expansiveness and freedom when you realize that you are autistic and not bipolar. I have a similar story. 😊

I'm 20 and was diagnosed with "Asperger's Syndrome" when I was a preteen, but through further research I've found out that I'm autistic with somewhere between level 1 and 2 support needs. I also have OCD and I'm very certain I have undiagnosed ADHD, so that really adds to the stress of getting properly diagnosed as an adult. I can't drive, I can't cook besides with a microwave, I have a really hard time properly communicating to the point where I come off as "rude" to the average person, and many jobs have denied me once they find out I'm not just autistic, I'm *visibly* autistic, or "weird".

I never heard of levels. My brother is AudHD but was recently diagnosed in his 60’s. It wasn’t a surprise, though. Happy to learn.

I was diagnosed twice and I was not given a level either time. I was clearly level 1 then. I have read that they can change and i think it has for me and that's why i am watching this. About the point on the infographic about special interests, the related support need for me is keeping me away from it. My special interest the last few years, being illnesses and disabilities, is not safe to engage with at all. I hate getting worse (i have not been able to speak for a year and a half, I have no friendships I keep myself, i can't think about anything other than stupid disability stuff long enough to engage with someone about anything except that or my old/main/hopefully lifelong interest. I can't drive. I don't go to school or have a job. I am 20 and my grandparents have to babysit me 3 times a week or i will not eat reasonable things. I can't move sometimes. I'm in bed right now with my trash can making my whole room smell but I am stuck and I can't take it out until arbitrary things change. We might be getting a cat soon. I need to take care of it. This is incoherent.) i was saying I hate getting worse and not knowing about it, exactly why and how and what will most likely happen with it in the future and a name and statistics. I almost cut off my foot because I can learn about that and understand it. Even when I'm not having any suicidal thoughts i want to eat poisonous things. That isn't ok. I need to be kept away from this. I know of other people with similar problems with their special interests. I read an article about an autistic boy who messaged the leaders of a terrorist organization online asking to join and if they had a youth chapter because he was interested in them. Apparently he didn't actually hate the people they hate.

I believe that we autistics may go through all the different levels of support needs depending on what is happening around us.

I am feeling suicidal rn over my inability to make friends as an autistic person

I didn't get a support level with my diagnosis, but the psychologist that diagnosed me wrote in my file that I would qualify for a diagnosis of mental r****dation under the dsm4.

I can blend together complex and layered perfumes based entirely on vibes but I'll melt down at the idea of having to make a phone call to someone other than my immediate family. I've constructed multiple kits of historic costume from the undergarments outward...but I can't wash dishes to save my life. It's really spiky over here. 😅

I have ADHD and I also don’t bother with breaks. I have pulled all nighters more than once.

I am another particularly verbose Autistic woman. I can spell to save my life, but my vocabulary is actually quite extensive. So I'm very much the opposite of what they expect.

The shower barrier makes sense to me, but since I'm not sure if I just have social anxiety I can relate it to not feeling like I have any opening to talk to people unless it's a specific scheduled activity that needs interaction, like at a job with a specific task or a school assignment. I have no idea how people initiate in the wild

I'm diagnosed with level 2 as well!

I have ADHD and my spouse has Autism. We both went un-diagnosed--me because I'm female and Inattentive-type; him because he grew up in poverty. Neither of us was diagnosed when we met (early 20s)--but we were both noticeably weird, and we clicked immediately. Our mutual friends commented on it--he was known for being distrustful and mean; I was known for being socially oblivious--it was unusual for us to bond so fast. 8 years later, and I wouldn't say we're "thriving", but getting diagnosed helps, and having a spouse who "gets it" about executive dysfunction, repetitive behaviors, emotional dysregulation, and breakdowns helps too. We haven't had our severity levels assessed, but I'd say my ADHD is "moderate" level. His autism alone is probably level 1--but combined with other health challenges, his support needs are akin to level 2.