Question: when was it settled science that vaccinations don't cause autism?

[Douglas Carpenter]

117. there is no such thing as "Spectrum Autism" - Autism is a Spectrum - that why its official name

is Autism Spectrum Disorder - These standards established by the American Psychiatric Association under the DSM V guidelines

There is no serious debate in the psychiatric community either in North America or internationally that questions that Autism does in fact come in matters of severity which the DSM V APA guidelines have established as level 0 to level 3. It is the overwhelming and international scientific consensus that different levels of the severity scale are measurements of the same conditions - but of varying severity - as it the case with almost every other physical, neurological and psychiatric condition known to science.

I suppose most people who were previously diagnosed or would have been diagnosed with Asperger's under the DSM !V would now be diagnosed with ASD Severity Scale 1.

I found this PDF file online that I thought might be useful.

Severity Scale - levels 0-3

level 0: Autistic traits - but subclinical and Requiring no support /

Level 1 Mild - Requiring some Support/

Level 2 Moderate Requiring Substantial Support

Level 3 Severe - 3/Requiring very substantial support

There is a fairly detailed chart here - from psychiatry.org:

CLINICIAN-RATED SEVERITY OF
AUTISM SPECTRUM AND SOCIAL COMMUNICATION DISORDERS

Mild
Requiring support
(i.e., Without supports in place, deficits in social communication cause noticeable impairments. Has difficulty initiating social interactions and demonstrates clear examples of atypical or unsuccessful responses to social overtures of others. May appear to have decreased interest in social interactions.)

Moderate
Requiring SUBSTANTIAL support
(i.e., Marked deficits in verbal and nonverbal social communication skills; social impairments apparent even with supports in place; limited initiation of social interactions and reduced or abnormal response to social overtures from others.)

Severe
Requiring VERY SUBSTANTIAL support
(i.e., Severe deficits in verbal and nonverbal social communication skills cause severe impairments in functioning; very limited initiation of social interactions and minimal response to social overtures from others.)
RESTRICTED INTERESTS and REPETITIVE BEHAVIORS:
Rate the level of interference in functioning and support required as a result of RESTRICTED INTERESTS and REPETITIVE BEHAVIORS for this individual.

None

Mild
Requiring support
(i.e., Rituals and repetitive behaviors cause significant interference with functioning in one or more contexts. Resists attempts by others to interrupt RRBs or to be redirected from fixated interest.)

Moderate
Requiring SUBSTANTIAL support
(i.e., RRBs and/or preoccupations and/or fixated interests appear frequently enough to be obvious to the casual observer and interfere with functioning in a variety of contexts. Distress or frustration is apparent when RRBs are interrupted; difficult to redirect from fixated interest.)

Severe
Requiring VERY SUBSTANTIAL support
(i.e., Preoccupations, fixed rituals and/or repetitive behaviors markedly interfere with functioning in all spheres. Marked distress when rituals or routines are interrupted; very difficult to redirect from fixated interest or returns to it quickly.)

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