Trenna Sutcliffe, M.D.

So you would have a child, and one clinician would call it Asperger's syndrome, another person would call it autistic disorder, another person would call it PDD-NOS. So they decided, okay, rather than having these three names, let's put it all under autism spectrum. So then they put it under autism spectrum, but then they have level one, level two, level three.

So you would have a child, and one clinician would call it Asperger's syndrome, another person would call it autistic disorder, another person would call it PDD-NOS. So they decided, okay, rather than having these three names, let's put it all under autism spectrum. So then they put it under autism spectrum, but then they have level one, level two, level three.

But I would still say that clinicians still struggle sometimes where there is a little bit of overlap. It's not always clear.

But I would still say that clinicians still struggle sometimes where there is a little bit of overlap. It's not always clear.

So it did make a difference with respect to resources. Children with Asperger's syndrome frequently did not get support or support covered. You needed autistic disorder to get support.

So it did make a difference with respect to resources. Children with Asperger's syndrome frequently did not get support or support covered. You needed autistic disorder to get support.

Waste bucket? Yeah, people didn't know what to do with that. So if by putting everything under autism, then it's like, okay, if you have autism, you should receive services. It was a tool. The label's a tool to understand and get resources. Now we have level one, level two, level three now. Level one is it says requires support. Level two is requires substantial support.

Waste bucket? Yeah, people didn't know what to do with that. So if by putting everything under autism, then it's like, okay, if you have autism, you should receive services. It was a tool. The label's a tool to understand and get resources. Now we have level one, level two, level three now. Level one is it says requires support. Level two is requires substantial support.

Level three is require very substantial support. My concern is that, again, when a child is level one, they don't always get the support they need because they have so many strengths. So kids in level one, frequently they have good cognitive skills. They have a lot of language skills.

Level three is require very substantial support. My concern is that, again, when a child is level one, they don't always get the support they need because they have so many strengths. So kids in level one, frequently they have good cognitive skills. They have a lot of language skills.

They struggle with some social skills and they may have some difficulties with executive functioning and coping skills at times. But again, it's considered mild and a lot of those kids don't get support. And I think that's unfortunate because they also are the kids that respond to intervention so well. If they get a little coaching on how do you cope with distress? How do you cope with change?

They struggle with some social skills and they may have some difficulties with executive functioning and coping skills at times. But again, it's considered mild and a lot of those kids don't get support. And I think that's unfortunate because they also are the kids that respond to intervention so well. If they get a little coaching on how do you cope with distress? How do you cope with change?

How do you practice some social skills? Not that they have to change. We don't need to change everything about them, but giving them a little bit of support about how to, again, be adaptive in a community. Giving that support goes a long way with that group. But frequently they don't get the support because they're called level one.

How do you practice some social skills? Not that they have to change. We don't need to change everything about them, but giving them a little bit of support about how to, again, be adaptive in a community. Giving that support goes a long way with that group. But frequently they don't get the support because they're called level one.

There are. There are a lot of them. And I think they found a path that made sense to them. They obviously learned what their strengths were, and their strengths may have been around memory, detail-oriented, following rules that are black and white. They may have had really wonderful cognitive skills in certain areas that were less around inferring and social skills and more concrete. And yeah,

There are. There are a lot of them. And I think they found a path that made sense to them. They obviously learned what their strengths were, and their strengths may have been around memory, detail-oriented, following rules that are black and white. They may have had really wonderful cognitive skills in certain areas that were less around inferring and social skills and more concrete. And yeah,

We don't have studies to say this for sure, but my guess is they have lived happy, successful lives, a lot of them, some of them, doing things that they enjoy doing or are passionate about. They probably have found ways to not engage in large social settings, but there's a lot of careers out there that are a good match.

We don't have studies to say this for sure, but my guess is they have lived happy, successful lives, a lot of them, some of them, doing things that they enjoy doing or are passionate about. They probably have found ways to not engage in large social settings, but there's a lot of careers out there that are a good match.

And they also have relationships and marriages, which I want to emphasize that. People with autism get married.

And they also have relationships and marriages, which I want to emphasize that. People with autism get married.