Spotting delays or differences in your child’s development can be scary and confusing for any parent. At first, you may even dismiss these early signs or heed the advice of others to “not worry about it.” However, when challenges persist and start impacting daily life, many parents realize something more significant may be going on.
If your child is one of the 1 in 36 children recently diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, you’re not alone in wondering where to turn for support. While reports of children with communication difficulties, emotional issues, and rigid or repetitive behaviors are on the rise, conventional medicine fails to address the roots of the issue.
However, not all levels of autism look the same. So, what is level 2 autism? In this article, we’ll gain deeper insight into this specific level, exploring its common symptoms and underlying causes and the steps you can take to help your child reach their fullest potential. Through Neurologically-Focused Chiropractic Care, answers and support are available.
What is Autism Spectrum Disorder?
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex neurological and developmental condition. Social communication and interaction differences, restricted interests, repetitive behaviors, and sensory processing issues characterize it.
ASD reflects atypical brain and nervous system development and occurs along a spectrum. This means that the presentations and support needs of those affected vary widely from mild challenges to more severe disabilities.
Most noticeably, people with ASD often face challenges in social interaction, speech and nonverbal skills, sensory regulation, motor control, and displaying restrictive or repetitive behaviors. Often, these signs appear early as missed milestones or developmental delays.
What Is Level 2 Autism?
Autism Spectrum Disorder encompasses a wide range of characteristics and challenges. To categorize this heterogeneity for better treatment planning, the DSM-5 psychiatric manual divides ASD into three support levels.
A level 2 autism diagnosis falls in the middle, indicating a child requires “substantial support” for communication, social interaction, behavior, and coping skills. It is considered moderate autism, and parents frequently report struggling more as school demands and social nuances intensify.
The diagnostic process involves developmental screening followed by formal diagnostic testing, such as ADOS-2 assessments. Criteria help designate one of the three levels of autism outlined in DSM-5.
However, each child develops uniquely, and labels often fail to capture strengths, challenges outside core areas, fluctuating skills, and diversity in support needs. Still, level 2 indicates therapists should provide extra assistance for daily living issues.
Common Symptoms and Traits in Level 2 Autism
While all children with ASD are unique, level 2 has some defining features that make daily life markedly challenging in multiple settings without substantial support. Core issues center around communication, social interaction, behavior, and coping:
Communication Challenges
- Limited vocabulary or phrase speech
- Poor back-and-forth conversational abilities
- Difficulty initiating communication
- Echolalia or repetitive speech patterns
Social Interaction Issues
- Struggles to read facial expressions and body language
- Frequently perceived as awkward or odd by peers
- Limited interests and play skills
- Problems making age-appropriate friends
Behavioral and Emotional Dysregulation
- Trouble identifying own and others’ emotions
- Extreme reactions to changes in routine
- Frequent tantrums, emotional meltdowns
- Aggressive or self-injurious behaviors
Cognitive Rigidity and Repetitiveness
- Insistence on sameness and rituals
- Intense special interests or fixations
- Repetitive motor mannerisms
- Difficulty with transitions or shifting focus
In addition to these signs, parents may also notice sensory sensitivities, sleep issues, clumsiness, and chronic health problems like gastrointestinal distress.
Level 2 Autism: Understanding “The Perfect Storm” of Causes
While genetics may confer a vulnerability to autism, research now recognizes that a cascade of environmental triggers can also predispose an immature nervous system. We refer to this cascade of environmental stressors that can alter neural connectivity and disrupt healthy nervous system maturation as “The Perfect Storm.”.
Some of these environmental triggers include:
- Prenatal Maternal Stress and Infection
- Stress hormones and inflammation impact fetal brain development
- Alters neuroendocrine systems closely tied to ASD risk
- Birth Trauma
- Interventions like C-sections, induction, and vacuum or forceps extraction injure delicate nerve pathways, resulting in birth trauma
- Cranial disturbances lead to misaligned vertebrae (subluxation), affecting nervous system communication
- Frequent Antibiotics and Ear Infections
- Disrupt healthy gut flora essential for immune function and neurotransmitters
- Gut-brain axis issues create downstream effects
- Toxins, Poor Diet, and Sleep Disruption
- Chemical exposures trigger oxidative stress and inflammation
- Nutrient deficiencies and sleep disorder issues also alter brain maturation
This cumulative burden of external triggers taxes growing bodies and minds, sparking a neurological “brain fire” marked by sensory overload, behavioral struggles, and developmental delays over time. The conventional approach fails to address this root cause.
By understanding this complex combination of triggers, parents can gain greater insight into ASD’s roots. This contrasts the outdated, solely genetic explanation offered by conventional medicine.
Beyond Medication: Restoring Nervous System Order
Mainstream medicine often takes a cookie-cutter approach to most diagnoses, including level 2 autism. Typically, the conventional approach involves:
- Labeling based on observable behavioral symptoms
- Prescribing psychiatric medications intended to “manage” symptoms
- Recommending standard therapies like speech, occupational, and ABA therapy to work around vs. resolve issues
While this approach does offer some short-term relief, it doesn’t address the true neurological origins of sensory, social, speech, and coordination challenges faced by children with autism.
Fortunately, research links autism with neurological dysfunction, calling for a more neurologically-focused care plan to reignite key neural networks.
Therefore, to effectively help children reach their potential, it’s essential to address roots like:
- Cranial disturbances (subluxation) affecting nervous system communication
- Dysautonomia marked by sympathetic system overload and vagus nerve suppression
- Neuroinflammation, immune disturbances, and neurotransmitter imbalances
Through advanced assessment, specialized chiropractors detect subluxation and nerve system dysfunction missed by standard testing. Gentle adjustments restore alignment and reduce neurological stress. Targeted nutrition, diet changes, movement therapies, and environmental accommodations provide additional support.
As nerve function improves, parents report better regulation of sensory input, behavior, sleep, focus, digestion, and more—addressing upstream factors perpetuating outward ASD symptoms. This empowers greater independence on the child’s unique journey.
Neurologically-Focused Chiropractic Care and Autism
Chiropractic care offers a unique, drug-free approach to helping children reach their potential, especially those struggling with developmental or neurological disorders like autism.
While traditional chiropractic focuses on the spine for pain relief and mobility, newer specialized techniques like Neurologically-Focused Chiropractic Care bring deeper neurological assessment and precision in correcting underlying dysfunction.
Advanced technologies detect and analyze interference within the nervous system called subluxations. Gentle “Neuro-Tonal” adjustments are tailored to each child, stimulating key nerves and allowing for better sensory processing, behavioral regulation, speech abilities, and more.
Children often progress faster in therapies and daily skills as the nervous system becomes more balanced. Care also helps set the stage for enhanced function into adulthood by nurturing optimal development.
Supporting Your Child and Family
Getting an autism diagnosis often leaves parents feeling overwhelmed and filled with questions about the road ahead. Know that hope and help exist. Small, consistent steps that make life easier can aid development. Here are tips for parents with a level 2 child:
At Home
- Incorporate visual schedules and timers
- Create sensory-friendly spaces for regulation
- Add labels and charts building routine independence
- Prepare social stories previewing new experiences
In Education
- Access developmental preschool programs with higher staffing ratios
- Request an aide, resource room time, therapy incorporations
- Partner closely with teachers on accommodations
- Teach self-regulation and social thinking concepts
With Friends and Family
- Find an understanding and supportive community
- Advocate for your child’s needs around others
- Explain differences in communication, play, and behavior
- Encourage relationships valuing their uniqueness
For Parents
- Prioritize bonding through special interest activities
- Exchange ideas with other special needs parents
- Stay educated through reputable autism resources
- Make self-care a regular commitment
No one knows your child like you do. Trust your instincts, advocating for their best care. Delve into emerging research on natural solutions addressing root factors for fuller restoration. Brighter days ahead start with the next step.
Next Steps to Help Your Child Thrive
Ultimately, learning that your child has level 2 autism can feel overwhelming but also liberating. You now have a name for the challenges you’ve noticed, and education empowers you to get appropriate assistance.
Of course, there is no overnight miracle cure for level 2 autism — each child progresses on their own timeline. But regularly addressing root issues while embracing neurodiversity can open a world of possibility. Have hope and stand firmly by your child each step of the way.
At PX Docs, we’re dedicated to providing safe, effective, and drug-free support. Grounded in compassion, we strive to give families and providers alike a refreshed perspective on Autism Spectrum Disorder.
To help your child thrive, visit our website today to find a PX Doc near you. Our qualified, cause-based care chiropractors can help your child reach their fullest potential.