The 3 Levels of Support Required for ASD

The reason that every child or individual diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder is unique in their own way, is because of the varying difficulties, needs, and level of support each of them require.

Some have impairments or conditions in one, some, even none of these, areas: intellectual, learning, language, genetic, emotional or behavioural. For this post, we’ll just talk about the varying levels of support that your child may require - namely, requiring Support, Substantial Support, or Very Substantial Support (as outlined in the DSM-5).

The Spectrum - in Support Needs

1 - Requiring Support in…

Ψ Social Communication: observable difficulties (if no support is in place). Finding it hard to initiate interactions, lack of interest in them, or noticeably odd or fails to respond appropriately to what others say.

Ψ Restricted, Repetitive Behaviours: inflexibility interferes in one or more contexts, like not being able to switch between activities, struggling with organisation and planning.

2 - Requiring Substantial Support in…

Ψ Social Communication: difficulties in both verbal and nonverbal social communication skills, struggles to initiate social interactions, and shows unusual or limited responses in conversations. For example, speaking very short and simple sentences, odd gestures, and mainly talking about specific, narrow topics.

Ψ Restricted, Repetitive Behaviours: observable in many contexts and even by others, with distress or difficulty when focus or behaviours are disrupted or changed.

3 - Requiring Very Substantial Support in…

Ψ Social Communication: severe difficulties verbally and nonverbally - minimal and limited interactions with others (usually speaks very few understandable words, and even if they do speak, they are responding to requests or questions directed clearly to them, or speaking to meet their own needs).

Ψ Restricted, Repetitive Behaviours: significant difficulty or distress in response to change, inflexibility affects functioning, all the time.

Knowing which level of support our child’s needs require, gives us the advantage of knowing what we need to do, and even how much guidance they need, in being able to build up their functional abilities. It’s really not easy being a parent to a child with ASD. Remember, it’s okay to ask for help.