Following my recent video showing the contrast between Autism Level 1 and Level 3, the critics came rolling in. As usual. One comment, in particular, stood out to me:
“Autism levels are useless because someone can be Level 1 one day and Level 3 the next.”
Honestly, that’s a privileged take if I’ve ever heard one.
On his absolute best day, Charlie will still be nonverbal. He will still communicate his needs through gestures or his AAC device (once he stops trying to destroy it). Charlie will still run in front of cars without a second thought, and yes, he’ll still try to eat post-it notes. Charlie is Level 3, severe, every single day. He doesn’t wake up and suddenly “go verbal” like a magical transformation.
And then there’s this gem:
“I’m Level 1, but I sometimes go nonverbal.”
Look, I get it—you have hard days, and I empathize. But being nonverbal isn’t something people just “try on.” Nonverbal individuals don’t “go verbal” on a whim, and describing it like that minimizes the experience of those who are nonverbal all the time. You might shut down, struggle to speak, or need extra support some days. And that’s valid. But it doesn’t make you Level 3. It makes you a Level 1 autistic person having a rough day.
Autism levels aren’t a competition, but they do help illustrate the spectrum of autism. They help people understand why Jude, who can talk about chess strategies and solve math problems for fun, shares the same diagnosis as Charlie, who’s intellectually disabled, nonverbal, and stims constantly, sometimes in harmful ways.
Are autism levels perfect? No. Do we need better diagnostic terms? Absolutely. But right now, they’re one of the best tools we have to explain the vast differences in autism presentations.
If you don’t like them, that’s fine—don’t use them. But don’t dismiss them or attack those of us who rely on them to advocate for our kids.
So let’s focus on what truly matters: creating a world where every autistic person, regardless of their level, gets the support, respect, and opportunities they deserve.
4 Comments
Justone
2025-02-05 at 4:24 PMGreat
Megan
2025-02-10 at 10:59 PMWhy are you continuing to spread misinformation instead of educating those who are saying harmful things? All these statements that people are making can be disproven with science why aren’t you using it?
Willie
2025-02-16 at 5:46 AMIs there a blindness spectrum is there a genetic tumor disorder spectrum because I truly have these conditions. I have NF1 a genetic tumor disorder and I am blind in my left eye, from a tumor as a child. Maybe my autism is level 1 but my blindness level is at least 2 and my NF level is 2
Angela
2026-08-30 at 10:54 AMI am Nero Divergent also but my diagnosis is not autism. Since my mom has done some of the things that people who have level 1 autism have. IEP meetings and physical therapy appointments at Easter Seals. People would probably think that I must have support needs. Well into middle age but I don’t. My mom got to experience all the things that Nero typical kids do. I graduated from high school. I learned how to drive at the age 20. I have worked with kids for the last 31 years. I got married and had baby. All of my younger siblings are Nero Typical. So my mom at 79 years old. Gets to travel and enjoy her own life. Parents of children with profound autism. Will never get experience those same things. They have to worry about whether their is day program that their young adults can go to. When they are too old to care for their kids. Will they be able to find and afford group home. They and their kids deserve to be heard and seen too. There is something that has always bothered me. Because my younger siblings are all Nero Typical. They got to do things that I couldn’t I couldn’t do. They all graduated from college. My younger sister and youngest brother. Both have Masters degrees. When I think about that it makes me feel like life progressed for them but not for me. Autistic adults who can advocate for themselves. Are not thinking about all the kids that are at level 1 or 2. Who might feel exactly like I do. Like everyone else moved on to bigger things and they didn’t.