Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsCharacteristics of Mild AutismWhat Makes Autism “Mild”?DiagnosisCausesTreatment & Support

Table of ContentsView All

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Table of Contents

Characteristics of Mild Autism

What Makes Autism “Mild”?

Diagnosis

Causes

Treatment & Support

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Language note: Although individual preferences exist, surveys of the autistic community consistently show that autistic people prefer identity-first language rather than person-first language (i.e., “autistic person” rather than “person with autism”). This article reflects that community language preference.

Mild autism is an unofficial term that may refer to the diagnosis of level 1autism. Mild autism may also informally be referred to as “high-functioning autism,” although this term is considered inaccurate and inappropriate as it does not accurately reflect the challenges that autistic people deal with in their daily lives.

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition, Text Revision (DSM-5-TR), conceptualizes autism as a spectrum in which people with low support needs (level 1 autism) are considered to be “mildly” autistic and those with high support needs as “severe.”

The DSM-5-TR details five diagnostic criteria forAutism Spectrum Disorder. Because the DSM-5-TR conceptualizes diagnoses as disorders and disabilities that cause functional problems, these symptoms are framed as deficits:

Before autism was considered a spectrum, the DSM-IV-TR differentiated autism fromAsperger’s Syndrome, which was considered “mild” autism. However, psychologists struggled with differentiating autism and Asperger’s Syndrome.

An individual was considered autistic if they did not acquire verbal language prior to three years of age, but other symptoms were the same. In addition, research showed that a diagnosis of autism versus Asperger’s depended on which provider performed the assessment rather than specific symptoms.

The International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision (ICD-10) still recognizes Asperger’s Syndrome as a diagnosis.

Navigating the Experience of Hyper-Empathy in Autism

According to the DSM-5-TR, a diagnosis ofautism spectrum disordercan be specified as Level 1, Level 2, or Level 3 based on “severity.”

Level 1 Autism

Level 1 is typically classified as “mild” autism, as autistic people at Level 1 have the lowest support needs.

For an autistic person to be considered Level 1, they must have low support needs for both communication and behaviors. Regarding communication, Level 1 autistic people might struggle with initiating conversations or relationships with other people, and they might not seem as interested in these relationships as their neurotypical peers.

Behaviorally, Level 1 autistic people may adhere to veryspecific routinesthat can interfere with functioning, struggle with transitions, and have difficulty with organization and planning. The DSM-5-TR does not specify how sensory issues impact Level 1 autistic individuals.

It is important to note that autistic people’s support needs can change, just like non-autistic people’s needs can change. During times of high stress, an autistic person might need more support than during low-stress times.

Autistic burnout refers to when an autistic person’s support needs increase due to exhaustion and long-term stress. Autistic people who had low support needs and were identified as “mild” might exhibit more “severe”symptoms during burnoutdue to higher needs.

Diagnosing Mild Autism

Psychological assessments used to identify autism include:

Causes of Mild Autism

Although we do not fully understand why some people are autistic and others are not, research shows that various genes can impact whether or not someone is autistic.

Autistic people are born autistic and remain autistic for their entire lives.

Support for Mild Autism

Autistic people might benefit from talk therapy,occupational therapy, and physical therapy.

Although Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is sometimes thought of as a “gold standard” of autism treatment, the autistic community has raised concerns that this treatment can be abusive and traumatic.

Autistic individuals with low support needs might be able to live independently and work, but they might attendindividual therapyto cope with stress and any comorbid diagnoses they might have.

Many autistic individuals benefit from support from their autistic peers. Organizations exist to advocate for autistic people’s rights and provide accurate information about getting diagnosed, treatment options, and social support.

Resources

Living With Autism Spectrum Disorder

8 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders: DSM-5. 5th ed., American Psychiatric Association, 2013.

Lord C.A multisite study of the clinical diagnosis of different autism spectrum disorders.Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2012;69(3):306.

Mantzalas J, Richdale AL, Adikari A, Lowe J, Dissanayake C. What is autistic burnout? A thematic analysis of posts on two online platforms.Autism in Adulthood. 2022;4(1):52-65.

Simek AN, Wahlberg AC.Test review: autism spectrum rating scales. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment.2011;29(2):191-195.

Zander E, Willfors C, Berggren S, et al.The interrater reliability of the autism diagnostic interview-revised (ADI-R) in clinical settings.Psychopathology. 2017;50(3):219-227.

Adamou, M., Johnson, M. and Alty, B. (2018),“Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) scores in males and females diagnosed with autism: a naturalistic study”,Advances in Autism, Vol. 4 No. 2, pp. 49-55.

Kirkham P.‘The line between intervention and abuse’ – autism and applied behaviour analysis.History of the Human Sciences. 2017;30(2):107-126.

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