On November 2 and 3, 2024, members and observers of the Autism-Europe Council of Administration (CA) from 15 countries across Europe and beyond gathered with the Autism-Europe staff in Brussels for this year’s second AE board meeting. Members reviewed recent developments at the EU level. Central to the meeting were discussions about AE’s strategic priorities beyond 2025 and the current state of autism strategies across Europe. Members also received updates on AE’s “Not Invisible” campaign and the 14th Autism-Europe International Congress, which will be held in Dublin in 2025. They also enjoyed the opportunity to network through a “speed dating” exercise to learn about their respective priorities.
First, CA members received an update on AE activities as well as its cooperation with other European networks and transnational projects, during which various members shared their outlook and experience. Recent key EU policy developments linked to autism were also presented.
The meeting continued with a collective reflection on AE’s priorities for the future strategic period beyond 2025. Identified challenges included continuing to advocate for adequate community services for autistic people, addressing the needs of the entire autism spectrum across countries, and promoting quality of life. To ascertain our priorities, this exercise will be conducted more widely within the AE network with the support of our external evaluator.
A specific session reviewed current autism strategies across Europe and beyond. Board members shared national experiences of various plans and their implementation status, and considered various success factors such as earmarked funding, targets, and monitoring.
Building on last year’s success, AE is preparing for the next phase of its multiannual “Not Invisible” campaign. Stories and testimonies of autistic people and their families will be central to this next phase. CA members and observers also enjoyed an informal networking session to exchange key activities and good practices from their associations.
Preparations for the Autism-Europe International Congress in Dublin are well underway. The recent launch of the call for abstracts is a key milestone.
Side Event Dedicated to Autism Spectrum Pathways and Autism IncluDi Projects
The weekend concluded with a side event spotlighting two projects: Autism Spectrum Pathways, which promotes work placements for autistic jobseekers, featuring Feliciea Jibson, project coordinator from PAGS. The event included an interview with Robert, a Romanian autistic man who gained employment through the project with support from our member association Help Autism.
Professor Nikolaos Fachantidis from the University of Macedonia in Greece presented the Autism IncluDi project. Its main objective is to train educators and carers of autistic people. Finally, draft policy recommendations on inclusion in education for autistic learners were presented.