NDIS and Level 2 Autism
An estimated 164000 people are living with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) living in Australia. That’s about 1 in every 150 Australians that are born with ASD and will experience its effects throughout their lives. It’s no surprise that people diagnosed with ASD make up one of the largest groups of participants in the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).
Autism Spectrum Disorder is a lifelong disorder but the severity of its symptoms can vary from one person to another diagnosed with the disorder. According to the latest edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders (DSM-V), a diagnosis of ASD is further classified into three levels based on the severity of symptoms.
More specifically, determining which level a diagnosis of Autism depends on the amount of support the person with Autism requires to live everyday life as normally as possible. Mental health professionals will evaluate an individual with Autism in two areas of functioning: social functioning, and repetitive, restrictive behaviours.
The results help caretakers determine the amount and type of support a person with Autism requires. The NDIS uses the different diagnosis levels as a reference to determine if a person with Autism is eligible to receive support. We’ll be focusing on Level 2 Autism and what the NDIS can do to help those diagnosed with ASD level 2.
Autism Spectrum Disorder
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a lifelong developmental disorder that starts is present at birth for those affected. ASD is more commonly known as Autism. It is used as an umbrella term for several conditions that were once separately diagnosed, namely Asperger’s Disorder, Rett’s Disorder, Pervasive Developmental Disorder, and Childhood Disintegrative Disorder.
Autism in the DSM-V is viewed as a spectrum with symptoms varying from one individual diagnosed with ASD to another. Some individuals experience milder forms of ASD and may never even detect their condition unless professionally evaluated. There are also individuals that experience severe symptoms and will require substantial support for the rest of their lives.
Some of the telling symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder are:
Sensory sensitivity
Difficulty with changing routines, activities, or environment
Repetitive and restrictive behaviours
Deficits in social and communication skills
Fixation on certain subjects or topics
The examples listed above are not an exhaustive list of symptoms that people with ASD may experience. No two individuals with ASD will have the same experience because Autism is experienced in a spectrum. Each symptom is experienced differently from one person with Autism to the next.
As there is no cure for Autism Spectrum Disorder and because it is a lifelong disorder, people diagnosed with ASD may only manage their symptoms, adapt their environment to fit their needs, and get needed support to help deal with the challenges that come with Autism. Individuals diagnosed with Autism require individualised support and care to address their different needs and to live life as normally as possible.
ASD Level 2
There are three levels of severity in a diagnosis of Autism. These are all largely based on the amount of support an individual with Autism needs. ASD Level 1 is the mildest form of Autism and requires the least amount of support. ASD Level 2 requires substantial support, and ASD Level 3 requires very substantial support. Here is a closer look at ASD Level 2.
A person diagnosed with ASD Level 2 requires substantially more support compared to those diagnosed with ASD Level 1. A person with ASD Level 2 typically means they exhibit deficits with social interaction and communication. Even with support, individuals with ASD Level 2 will find it difficult to communicate verbally and nonverbally. They will have a hard time recognising social cues and may have abnormal or reduced responses to conversations.
ASD Level 2 also indicates that a person will have a hard time with changes in their routines or environment which can cause distress and outbursts. They will display frequent repetitive and restrictive behaviours that even casual onlookers can observe.
Support from the NDIS for Level 2 Autism
Individuals with ASD Level 2 will be automatically qualified to receive support from the NDIS. As NDIS participants, they can receive funding for reasonable and necessary support and care that they require to live everyday life as normally as possible.
Each person with ASD will have different needs. The NDIS can easily accommodate their specific needs and personal goals in the development of their individualised NDIS Plans to help layout all the details they need as they undergo their journey as an NDIS Participant. People with ASD Level 2 can enlist the help of registered NDIS Providers, like Positive Moods, to help alleviate the challenges brought on by their disorder.
Here are some of the support, care, and services that a person with ASD Level 2 can enlist:
Applied Behaviour Analysis
Occupational Therapy
Speech Therapy
Personal Care Support
Sensory Training
Other Levels of Autism
Here are the other two levels of Autistic Spectrum Disorder:
Level 1
People diagnosed with Level 1 Autism typically require the least amount of support. They may require some support in different aspects of their functioning and can live functional lives with little impairments. Level 1 Autism is the mildest form of Autism that an individual can be diagnosed with. They can typically experience difficulty in social interactions and communications. They may appear to be uninterested in social interactions and may have a hard time maintaining conversations with others. They will also have problems with organisation and planning which may cause some interference in their everyday functioning. They will find it difficult with switching from one activity to another.
The NDIS requires those diagnosed with Level 1 Autism to undergo further assessment and provide documentation that their disorder is significantly interfering with their everyday life to be qualified to be an NDIS Participant.
Level 3
Level 3 Autism is the most severe form of Autism. People diagnosed with Level 3 Autism require very substantial support to cope with the everyday challenges of their disorder. However, with a holistic set of treatments, like medication and therapy, they can manage some challenges brought on by their disorder.
Those diagnosed with Level 3 Autism may experience severe deficits in verbal and nonverbal communication and social interactions. They can be very inflexible and find it extremely difficult to cope with changes in their routines and environment. They also display significant amounts of repetitive and restrictive behaviours.
Like Level 2 Autism, the NDIS automatically qualifies those diagnosed with Level 3 Autism to be an NDIS Participant to receive the reasonable and necessary support they require.
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