Those labeled as "severe" aren't remotely likely to have their autism "resolve itself". Those labeled severe have the types of behaviors that tend to remain thr

Those labeled as "severe" aren't remotely likely to have their autism "resolve itself". Those labeled severe have the types of behaviors that tend to remain through the years. Children who are prone to self-injurious behavior, in my experience (two kids with autism, lots of exposure to other severe cases in the community), don't tend to outgrow it. Those that you see able to 'mask' their symptoms are generally on the opposite end of the spectrum, sometimes referred to as 'high-functioning'. That requires a level of self-awareness that many of the lower functioning spectrum seem to lack. One of the major problems with autism diagnoses is that there are lots of people who see the higher-functioning members of the autism community as the norm, whereas there are a fair percentage that are essentially permanently disabled that will likely be unable to contribute to society in a measurable way.