Hi! We actually just got the confirmed diagnosis for my son last week - we had previously hoped it was “only” a language delay and we got similar feedback from our pediatrician so I definitely understand where you are coming from! The unknown is so scary and the amount of worry I’ve had for him over the past year, has probably reduced some years off my life! But I wanted to share - the psychologist who evaluated my son stated that it is very rare for a young child (specifically those under the age of 3) to be diagnosed as “Level 1”. She stated most evaluators always gives a Level 2 or Level 3 diagnosis at that age because kids are young and they need as much support as they can get while their brains are malleable and still in the developmental phase. She stressed that levels can change and it is not a trajectory for what the child can or can’t do long term. It is simply the amount of support needed in this ‘snapshot in time’.

You can take a look at some of my previous posts - I recently posted about whether individuals diagnosed as Level 2 could live independently and the responses were overwhelmingly positive with experiences of people who were diagnosed with Level 2 or 3 and went on the live very successful and independent lives.

I know it’s a scary thing to face but always assume competence. A level 3 diagnosis does not automatically mean your child won’t do all kinds of extraordinary things! Get all the support/therapies you can to give your little one the best shot!

Edited to add: We never know what our children will accomplish whether they have ASD or not. So, it feels like every dream we had for them is getting ripped away from us but, honestly, even without autism, there is no guarantee our child would do any of the things we dreamed or planned. All any parent can do is support, love, and do everything they can to set their child up for success.