Autism Support Levels (1, 2, 3)

The DSM-5 describes three support levels for ASD — describing how much support a person needs for social communication and for restricted, repetitive behaviors, not the "severity" or worth of the person.

Level 1 ("Requiring support"): without support in place, deficits in social communication cause noticeable impairment. Difficulty initiating social interactions. ASD level 1 is what used to be called Asperger's Syndrome.

Level 2 ("Requiring substantial support"): marked deficits in verbal and nonverbal communication even with support in place. Limited social communication, atypical responses to the environment.

Level 3 ("Requiring very substantial support"): severe deficits in verbal and nonverbal communication cause severe impairment in functioning. Very limited initiation of social interactions.