Many families who have children who have recently been diagnosed with Autism will have heard of the DSM-5 and what Level their child is diagnosed with. There is so much information that you can read about this diagnosis, and it can be quite an unheard-of term for many families until they go and see their paediatrician. Many families often say that they sit in ‘shock’ and often don’t remember much of what the paediatrician said during the meeting. All they can think of is ‘why my child? Why me? What do I do now?’.

Footprints Advocacy can help support you through the process of achieving NDIS Funding with our bespoke webinars and downloadable resources.

Levels of Autism:

The DSM-5 states that there are three levels of autism:

Level 1: Requiring support

A person with level 1 autism may have difficulties in social situations.

Level 1 is the least severe autism diagnosis. People in this category have social difficulties that require some support.

They can find it difficult to initiate conversations with others and may respond inappropriately or lose interest quickly. As a result, it can be challenging for them to make friends, especially without the right support.

People with level 1 autism may also show inflexible behaviors. It can be difficult for them to cope with changing situations or contexts, such as new environments. They may need help with organization and planning.

Level 2: Requiring substantial support

People in this category need more support than those with a level 1 diagnosis. They have more severe social deficits that make holding a conversation very challenging.

Even with support, they may struggle to communicate coherently and are more likely to respond inappropriately to others. They may speak in short sentences or only discuss very specific topics.

These individuals may also have issues with nonverbal communication and might display behaviors such as facing away from the person with whom they are communicating.

People with a level 2 diagnosis may also have inflexible behaviors that can interfere with daily functioning. They typically do not cope very well with changes, which can cause them significant distress.

Level 3: Requiring very substantial support

Level 3 is the most severe autism diagnosis. People with a level 3 diagnosis have significant impairments in their verbal and nonverbal communication.

They will often avoid interactions with others, but they may interact in a limited way if they must respond to others or communicate a need.

Their behaviors are highly inflexible and repetitive. They may react strongly to changes and become highly distressed in a situation that requires them to alter their focus or task.

The NDIS automatically accept children (and adults) with a Diagnosis of ASD Level 2 or Level 3. To learn more about accessing the NDIS and beginning your journey, please have a look at our Starter Package as this package will get you on your way with the next steps of that journey.

Developmental Delay:

The NDIS describe Developmental delay is a term used to describe a delay in a child’s development. It means that a child finds it much harder to do everyday things that other children their age can do, for example dress themselves, talk or walk.

A child with developmental delay needs lots of extra help to do everyday things compared to children of the same age. To access the NDIS under Developmental Delay, your child must be under 6 years of age and have a substantial reduction in functional capacity in one or more of the following areas of major life activity:

• Self-Care
• Receptive and Expressive language
• Cognitive Development
• Motor Development

For a greater depth of understanding of Developmental Delay, visit the NDIS website.

As a parent, there are many things that you can do to support your child in ‘achieving greatness’. For further information on how Footprints Advocacy can support you through the NDIS funding process in accessing funding for therapy, please have a look at our Starter Package.