A deeper dive into level 1 autism

I'm level 1 autistic and I'm asked what this means a lot, so for those who want to know...

Level 1 autism is defined as "requiring support" by the DSM.

This doesn't mean that a person can't live independently. It just means they need external support to get their needs met.

Some autistic people are able to get the support they need on their own and some need help getting it. (I'll explain what I mean by this in a second).

But in all cases, to be considered level 1, needing at least SOME support is required.

For me, I was able to get support on my own. For example...

- I got my own therapist and see her regularly (and drive myself to sessions)

- I lean on friends when in crisis 

- I set sensory boundaries and ask others for accommodations whenever possible...

- I've created several avenues of infodumping my special interests so as not to annoy my friends/family by incessantly talking about them (this platform being one of them). 

That last one might sound silly, but it's actually one of the main reasons I've been able to maintain meaningful relationships. And I am NOT overstating this. 

So that's a small sampling of my version of level 1 autism, where I've been able to get support on my own. 

But not everyone can do it on their own. Here are some examples of a person needing help getting support...

- needing a parent or partner to research local therapists and book the first appointment... 

- needing an autistic life coach to give guidance on what supports might be helpful/necessary and help strategizing ways to access those supports

- needing a parent or partner to request accommodations on their behalf 

To sum it all up, a person who doesn't need ANY support would not receive an autism diagnosis. 

But it's important to understand what needing support at level 1 actually means and that it does NOT necessarily mean the inability to live independently.

If you're also level 1 and you feel comfortable sharing some examples from your life, I'm sure it would be appreciated by others reading this thread. 😊 

And if you're level 2 or 3 in either category, I'm especially interested in hearing from you since I can't speak to what your experiences look like. ❤️