Autism Europe

High-level videoconference on the European Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2021-2030
2021-04-19 - 2021-04-20
The Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the European Union will organize a high-level videoconference on the European Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2021-2030 on the 19th and 20th of April.
One of the main priorities of the Portuguese Presidency is to strengthen the social component of the European Union, aiming at a Union of Equality. For this purpose, it is essential to implement the European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan, which includes the Strategy on the Rights of People with Disabilities and which is based on the values of equality, social justice, freedom, democracy, human rights and combating all forms of discrimination.
It is in order to reflect on these challenges and on the way forward, that we invite political leaders, European institutions, entities representing people with disabilities, social partners, civil society, people with disabilities and other relevant actors. Based on the new strategy, the debate will pay special attention to key areas that affect the daily lives of people with disabilities, such as accessibility, independent living, deinstitutionalization, community-based and person-centred social services, employment and inclusive education.
The Strategy for the Rights of People with Disabilities 2021-2030, launched by the European Commission on March 3, 2021 and which is at the centre of the proposed reflection can be accessed here.
The provisional programme can be accessed here (this link allows access to the most updated versions of the program until the day of the event). Registration can be done here until April 16th of 2021, with a limited number of accesses to the zoom platform.
The conference will have translation into Portuguese, English, French, German, Italian and Spanish, interpretation in Portuguese Sign Language and English subtitles.

AE's Webinar: The importance of quality Vocational Education and Training for inclusion
2021-04-21 10:00 - 12:00 (Europe/Paris) | Online- Zoom
Following its campaign on access to employment and education “I can LEARN. I can WORK” to mark World Autism Awareness Day (2 April), Autism-Europe hosts the free on-demand webinar: “The importance of quality Vocational Education and Training for inclusion: the success story of the Erasmus+ project ChildIN”. The 2-hour webinar will take place on Tuesday, April 21st at 10:00 (CET), and an on demand version will be available after.
Register now
Autistic people and their families, professionals, associations, policy-maker and other interested parties are invited to take part on this collaborative event about EU Vocational Education and Training (VET) policies and good practices for fostering inclusion of autistic people. The Erasmus+ project ChildIN, of which Autism-Europe is partner, will be presented in detail as a success story.
More information about the ChildIN project
In the first part of the event, a selected panel of speakers representing the disability communities and child (rights/care) and family representatives, as well as other relevant policymakers’ stakeholders in the field of VET, from regional, national, and European level will take the floor:

Lucia Ďuriš Nicholsonová – Chair of European Parliament Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL).
Ilana Cicurel – Member of the European Parliament
Marie-Béatrice Levaux – EFFE
Camille Roux – COFACE Families Europe
Zuzsanna Konradova – Eurochild

The second part of the event will be exclusively devoted to present the outcomes and the policy recommendations of the Erasmus+ project ChildIN (Training childminders across Europe for inclusion), with partner organisations from France, Portugal, and Poland.

Radka Maxová – Member of the European Parliament
Alain Lassus – President of Conseil départemental de la Nièvre, France
Rui Pena – Cooperativa Comenius, Portugal
Aurélie Baranger – Autism-Europe
Nadège Turco – IPERIA l’Institut
Beata Traczewska-Skóra – Techpal, Poland
Gloria Ortiz – IPERIA L’Institut

Download the programme

INSAR 2021 Virtual Annual Meeting
2021-05-03 08:00 - 2021-05-07 17:00 (Europe/Paris) | Online
The INSAR Annual Meeting (formerly IMFAR) is an annual scientific meeting, convened each spring, to exchange and disseminate new scientific progress among autism scientists and their trainees from around the world.
The aims of the meeting are:

Promote exchange and dissemination of the latest scientific findings and to stimulate research progress in understanding the nature, causes, and treatments for autism. Research on autism involves sophisticated behavioral and biological approaches. Autism affects people’s functioning in virtually every domain, requiring interdisciplinary research collaboration to gain comprehensive knowledge of the disorder.
Foster dialogue among autism scientists across disciplines and across methods.
Advance the training and development of new autism scientists by supporting the inclusion of postdoctoral and predoctoral trainees as well as junior faculty who are already working in autism research. The opportunity for trainees and junior faculty to interact with established autism scientists will foster the creativity and productivity of those at all levels.
Cultivate diversity among autism scientists by encouraging attendance and supporting access to the meeting for scientists and trainees from members of traditionally underrepresented groups, including those from ethnic minority groups, and those with disabilities.

Given the complex biological and behavioral nature of autism, interdisciplinary training and ongoing mentoring of new scientists and promising graduate students is necessary to recruit talented young people in autism research.
INSAR seeks to provide them with the motivation and mentoring needed to focus a career on autism and related developmental disorders.
Having an annual interdisciplinary meeting focused on scientific progress in understanding and treating autism provides an unparalleled opportunity for recognizing, supporting, and motivating talented graduate students and postdoctoral fellows into a career in autism research.
2021 Meeting
Full content that was planned for the hybrid event will be offered virtually. Keynote presenters have been confirmed and will be announced in upcoming weeks. The program will include Invited Panels again this year and abstract notifications for Panel, Oral and Poster presentations will be sent out in March 2021.
More information and registration here (early bird registration ends April 15)

Flagship Conference 2021 - Online
2021-05-04 08:00 - 2021-05-05 17:00 (Europe/Paris) | Online
The 2021 Flagship Conference will take place in collaboration with the Portuguese Government in the framework of the Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the European Union – ahead of the EU Social Summit taking place on 7 May in Porto (Portugal). The Flagship Conference will serve as an opportunity to develop key recommendations to Heads of State and Government and EU decision-makers present at the Social Summit.
The COVID-19 pandemic has had and will continue to have a devastating impact on all areas of peoples’ lives, which will take years to overcome. Moreover, people in the most vulnerable situations have suffered disproportionately as a result of COVID-19 and the measures taken to contain the pandemic. The pandemic has truly exposed the fragility of our socio-economic governance systems and how they must be more resilient to protect the most vulnerable in our societies. It has exacerbated the inequalities and disparities that people across Europe are experiencing in many areas of life, such as education, training and employment; social protection; access to services including health care, long-term care and social services.
The Conference will focus on the different ways that the European Union should lead its recovery process and reinforce the social dimension that must be at the heart of any solution to build a socially just and inclusive society for all, which is resilient to future crises.
Aim:
The Flagship Conference is the annual forum of civil society organisations advocating for social justice and participatory democracy, together with representatives of EU institutions, EU Member States and other stakeholders. It aims at:

identifying the challenges of the current EU’s socio-economic governance models, advocating for better coordination between economic and social policies, and for structured and meaningful civil dialogue;
developing alternative models and solutions, which are more democratic, people-centred and leave no-one behind;
building synergies and developing strategies between governmental and non-governmental actors to achieve a European Union based on social justice and participatory democracy.

Target audiences:
The Flagship Conference aims to reach out to European and national decision-makers, Social Platform members and their national networks, social partners, academics and other interested stakeholders.
Theme/focus:
The European Pillar of Social Rights (Social Pillar) was launched by the European Commission in 2017. It delivers new and improves existing social rights across the EU, and serves as the EU’s compass to achieve better working and living conditions for all. In 2021, the European Commission will launch its Action Plan on the implementation of the Social Pillar. Social Platform and its membership have been advocating for the comprehensive and ambitious implementation of the Social Pillar. Our 2021 Flagship Conference will focus on the role of the Action Plan in supporting Europe’s social recovery.
More information about the conference here

Global & European Trends of Deinstitutionalisation for Children Eurochild’s expert forum
2021-05-19 17:30 - 19:00 (Europe/Paris) | Online- Zoom
Eurochild and Martin James Foundation will run the ‘Global & European Trends of Deinstitutionalisation for Children’ session at DJHT, the biggest child & youth welfare summit in Europe organised by Eurochild member AGJ.
Since 1964 the Child and Youth Welfare Association (AGJ) organises a DJHT every three or four years. Attendance is free of charge. This three-day event is attended by around 30,000 experts and other interested individuals from all over Germany and Europe to exchange opinions, experiences and strengthen networks.
This expert forum aims to provide a space for leading experts and practitioners to discuss developments towards family-based care and reflect on researches, experiences and practices in the EU and globally. Taking into account that deinstitutionalisation is one of the funding priorities of the EU funds 2021-27 for all Member States. Moreover, the European Child Guarantee Recommendation will address the needs of children in adversity.
To learn more see the agenda
The European programme provides an overview of all events and exhibitors.
Speakers

Charles H. Zeanah, M.D., Professor of Psychiatry and Pediatrics, New Orleans University, USA;
Galina Markova, Know-how Centre for Alternative Care for Children, New Bulgarian University, Bulgaria;
Katarina Ivanković-Knežević, Director for Social Affairs & Inclusion, DG EMPL, the European Commission;
Benjamin Strahl, University of Hildesheim, Institute for Social Pedagogy and Organizational Studies, Germany;
Carolin Ehlke University of Hildesheim, Institute for Social Pedagogy and Organizational Studies, Germany;
Katharina Höffken, a member of Careleaver e. V. and social worker, Germany.

Moderators

Jana Hainsworth, Secretary General, Eurochild, Belgium;
Justin Rogers, CEO, Martin James Foundation, the UK.

Autism-Europe's General Assembly 2021 - Cracow
2021-06-19 - 2021-06-21 | Q Hotel Plus Kraków, Wygrana 6, 30-311, Kraków, Poland

Lessons from COVID-19: How can we make our health systems more resilient?
2021-09-30 14:30 - 16:00 (Europe/Paris)
Register here
The COVID-19 public health crisis has highlighted that the EU and Member States need to do more regarding preparedness and response planning for epidemics and other serious cross-border health threats.
The pandemic has revealed the lack of medical countermeasure stockpiles at EU and Member State level and the vulnerability of EU supply chains for critical medical countermeasures. It has also highlighted the lack of a coordinated and systematic EU-level approach to support the development, production, procurement and purchase of necessary vaccines, therapeutics, diagnostics as well as personal protective equipment (PPE) and medical devices.
In her 2020 State of the Union address, EC President von der Leyen called on Europe to draw lessons from the current crisis and build a European Health Union. In November 2020, the Commission put forward a set of proposals to strengthen the EU’s health security framework and reinforce the crisis preparedness and response role of key EU agencies.
The pandemic has also accelerated the digital transformation of healthcare, and boosted innovation in how patients can receive care. “A Europe fit for the digital age” is one of the six political priorities of the Commission 2019-2024, and the EU is working on a digital transformation of health and care.
What else can the EU and Member States do to make our health systems more resilient? Join this EURACTIV Virtual Conference to discuss the lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic and how our health systems can adapt and become more resilient. The likelihood of another global pandemic in the next 20 years is a reality. Whenever it may come, there will be no excuse for a lack of forward planning.
DATE AND TIME
September 30, 2021
2:30 PM – 3:45 PM (CET)

Autcamp event in Rome
2021-10-08 - 2021-10-09
AUTCAMPT EVENT IN R0ME
About AUTcamp, the organizer is Neuropeculiar, it is not my association but my association is supporting and funding this event, I attach a flyer: it is organized from autistic community for autistic community, following the model of Autreat, Autscape, Autminds, etc. It is the fourth year now. This year in Sapienza University, topics about community, self-advocay, inclusion.
We will count with the intervention of Heta Pukki from Finland, President of EUCAP. The event will be available also online in Neuropeculiar’s Youtube channel.
More information about AUTcamp here

EMentH – Early Childhood Mental Health International Conference
2021-11-12 - 2021-11-13
EMentH – Early Childhood Mental Health International Conference
EMentH 2021 International Conference is dedicated to Autism in Infants and Toddlers. It brings together world-renowned experts in the field of early childhood mental health. We will address early detection, assessment and intervention of children with autism.
HERE you can find a preliminary speakers list, including dr. Sally Rogers (co-founder of the ESDM model), dr. Hanna Alonim (founder of Mifne Center), dr. Pamela Wolfberg (founder of IPG models) and others.

AE's Council of Administration meeting
2021-11-16 - 2021-11-17 | Online

2021 European Forum for Disaster Risk Reduction
2021-11-24 08:00 - 2021-11-26 17:00 (Europe/Paris) | Matosinhos, Portugal, Portugal
EUROPEAN FORUM FOR DISASTER RISK REDUCTION
The European Forum for Disaster Risk Reduction (EFDRR) forms the regional platform structure of Europe. The triennial EFDRR has established itself as an important vehicle to address the regional disaster risk challenges. It serves as a forum for other stakeholders to take a shared responsibility and make actionable commitments to reduce disaster risk. The conference, true to the multi-stakeholder spirit of the Sendai Framework, enables governments and stakeholders to exchange experiences on successful practices and innovative approaches to prevent, reduce and manage disaster risk. This results in forward looking action plans based on a mutual sharing status of DRR implementation.
The EFDRR has been instrumental in tackling new areas such as sustainable finance as well as creating innovative ways to address challenges, including for example peer review processes and stress testing systems. The EFDRR secretariat, chaired by UNDRR, the European Commission and the Council of Europe facilitates stronger collaboration and coherence across the partners.
The outcomes of EFDRR forum are included in the United Nations Secretary General’s report to the General Assembly, in the deliberations at the High Level Political Forum in New York and at the Global Platform on Disaster Risk Reduction.
EXPECTED OUTCOMES

Good practices and knowledge on disaster risk-informed policies, programmes and investments are shared, with a particular focus on lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and the following recovery;
Partnerships are forged for increased disaster resilience;
Progress is assessed in the implementation of the Sendai Framework for DRR in the region.
The integration of disaster risk management in relevant sectors, particularly the health sector, is promoted for longer term resilience;
Contributions to the follow-up processes of United Nations conferences and summits are made.
Establish a common understanding of the common challenges and immediate threats in Europe
Agree on a joint future vision of a disaster resilient European and Central Asian region in 2030
Adoption of the 2021-2030 EFDRR RoadMap

The 2021 EFDRR will be structured along a threefold approach. It will, 1.) take stock of lessons from COVID-19 crisis, showcasing good practices in Europe, and Europe’s role in the world; 2) review progress to date in implementing the Sendai Framework and articulate what changes are needed for a transformative agenda on disaster risk reduction; across the pillars of economic recovery, good governance and for social equity; and 3) commit to ensuring that a disaster impact is never again so severe as the COVID-19 pandemic, articulating new commitments to achieve deliver greater resilience in Europe.
The key outcome documents would include:

2021-2030 EFDRR Roadmap – The EFDRR Roadmap forms the basis for coordinated implementation of Sendai Framework for DRR and related SDGs targets until 2030.
Stakeholder Declaration – Heads of the national delegations and practitioners responsible for disaster risk reduction within the region will agree on a Stakeholder Declaration that highlights main issues considered during the EFDRR and proposes way forward.
High-level Communiqué – At the High-Level Roundtable, participants endorse focus areas and actions for the EFDRR Road Map implementation.

More information here

TUT4IND
2021-11-25 14:00 - 17:00 (Europe/Paris)
Transforming universities in an inclusive environment for people with intellectual disability
Project TUT4IND “Training University Teachers for the Inclusion of students with Intellectual disabilities” is an Erasmus+ project (2019-1-ES01-KA203-065823) that aims to develop a curriculum, for the acquisition of needed skills by university teachers and lecturers in order to attend the potential competences of their students with intellectual disability, but also to enhance their inclusion into society.
Target audience:
The conference is aimed at higher education teachers and professionals, teachers of students with intellectual disabilities, professionals supporting students with intellectual disabilities in their academic career and transition to higher education, policy makers, and everyone else with an interest in this topic!
Targets:
The main goal of the conference is to disseminate the outcomes and results of the TUT4IND project, more precisely the white paper, the developed training course for teachers and the virtual learning environment that has been created for teachers in higher education to learn more about the needs of students with intellectual disabilities in higher education. Another goal of the conference is again to raise awareness for the inclusion of students with intellectual disabilities in higher education.
More information and the programme here

European Day of Persons with Disabilities
2021-12-02 - 2021-12-03 | Online
Programme and information to be published

IPA 2: Inclusion of people with autism in Europe. Improving scholar transitions from primary to secondary school
2022-02-25 14:00 - 16:00 (Europe/Paris)
The objective of this multiplier event to be held online on 25th February from 14.00 to 16.00 CET is to present the results of the IPA2 project.
This Erasmus+ project aims at decreasing difficulties that students on the autism spectrum face, specifically during the transition from primary to secondary school, in order to tackle early school leaving and disadvantage. Funded by the European Commission, the outputs of this project target both teachers, and autistic students and their peers in order to implement prevention measures and reduce risks of social exclusion, school failure, and school dropout.
We are glad to count with the participation of guest speaker Dr Ruth Moyse (AT-Autism) that will share results of her research on understanding persistent absenteeism from the perspectives of autistic adolescent girls who stop attending school .
You can check the agenda here
Register for this event here

International Women's Day
2022-03-08
The theme for International Women’s Day, 8 March, 2022 (IWD 2022) is, “Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow”, recognizing the contribution of women and girls around the world, who are leading the charge on climate change adaptation, mitigation, and response, to build a more sustainable future for all.
More info in UN Women website

Conference Autism Friendly Spaces: The employability twist
2022-06-22 08:30 - 13:00 (Europe/Brussels) | Online
The organisation “PLOES” E.Psy.Me. invites you to the awareness and information conference on the employability of autistic adults as a part of the European Project “Autism Friendly Spaces: The employability twist, creating and supporting a working environment.”
The conference will be on a hybrid format (in person and online) on Wednesday 22nd of June 2022 from 9:30 to 15:00 EET at SEV – Hellenic Federation of Enterprises.
Please note that, if attending online, the event takes place from 9.30 to 14:00 EET (8.30 to 13:00 CET)
See the agenda here
More information:
For organisational purposes, please confirm your participation by clicking on this link and register before June 17th so you can receive the link for the conference.
French translation:
L’organisation “PLOES” E.Psy.Me. vous invite à la con you to the Conférence de sensibilisation et d’information sur l’employabilité des adultes autistes dans le cadre du projet européen « Autism Friendly Spaces : The employability twist, creating and supporting a working environment » (Autism Friendly Spaces : créer et soutenir un environnement de travail adéquat pour favoriser l’employabilité).
La conférence se tiendra sous un format hybride (en présentiel et en ligne) le mercredi 22 juin 2022 de 9h30 à 15h00 EET au SEV – Fédération hellénique des entreprises.
Veuillez noter que, si vous participez en ligne, l’événement aura lieu de 9h30 à 14h00 EET (8h30 à 13h00 CET).
Consulter le programme
En savoir plus :
Pour des raisons d’organisation, veuillez confirmer votre participation en cliquant sur ce lien avant le 17 juin.

Young Mediators for Inclusion Final Conference
2022-07-06 09:30 - 13:00 (Europe/Paris) | European Economic and Social Committee- JDE Building, 99 rue Belliard – 6th floor – Foyer, Brussels, 1040, Belgium
The partners of “Young Mediators for Inclusion” are happy to invite you to the final conference of this Erasmus+ project! You will have the chance to learn how to support the inclusion of autistic young people activities in the community.
The event will also be an opportunity to exchange with a range of stakeholders: policy-makers, representatives from civil society and academia.
This hybrid conference will take place on July, 6 from 9.30AM – 1PM CEST at the European Economic and Social Committee in Brussels (Belgium) and you can also register to attend it online.
You can see the agenda here.
Registration to attend the event in person is closed. You can still register to attend it online through this registration form.

The YMI project promotes the participation of autistic children and young people in mainstream activities in the community, on equal terms with their peers, thanks to the support of “young mediators” to foster social inclusion. Running since 2019, this project is funded by the EU programme Erasmus+.
www.mediators4inclusion.eu

Autism Friendly Spaces Project: Final conference
2022-07-13 10:00 - 12:00 (Europe/Paris) | European Parliament, Rue Wiertz 60, Bruxelles, Bruxelles-Capitale, Région de;Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest, 1047, Belgium
The partners of Autism Friendly Spaces Project are happy to invite you to the final conference of this Erasmus+ project! You will have the chance to learn how to foster an autism friendly society and discover various good practices regarding accessibility of public spaces such as schools, shops, airports and work environments.
This hybrid conference will be hosted by Member of European Parliament Alex Agius Saliba, S&D, Malta and it will take place at the European Parliament, allowing remote access via Webex.
Date: Wednesday, 13 July 2022
Time: 10.00-12.00 CEST
Check the agenda here
Extended deadline for registration: Please, do not forget to register before July 7th end of the day through this registration form.

The Autism Friendly Spaces (AFS) project aims at promoting a more accessible society and participation in social activities of youngsters on the autism spectrum. The project started in October 2019 and will run until July 2022, funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union.
www.autismfriendlyspaces.eu
French translation:
Les partenaires du projet Autism Friendly Spaces ont le plaisir de vous inviter à la conférence finale du projet Erasmus+. Vous découvrirez les façons de favoriser une société respectueuse de l’autisme (autism friendly) ainsi qu’un panel de bonnes pratiques sur l’accessibilité des espaces publics tels que les écoles, les magasins, les aéroports et les environnements de travail.
Cette conférence hybride sera animée par le député européen Alex Agius Saliba (S&D, Malte) et se déroulera au Parlement européen. L’accès en ligne se fera via la plateforme Webex.
Date : mercredi 13 juillet 2022
Heure : 10.00 – 12.00 CEST
Consultez le programme
Extension du délai d’inscription : N’oubliez pas de vous inscrire avant le 7 juillet via ce formulaire d’inscription.
Le projet Autism Friendly Spaces (AFS) vise à promouvoir une société plus accessible et la participation des jeunes autistes aux activités sociales. Le projet, financé par le programme Erasmus+ de l’Union européenne, a débuté en octobre 2019 et se poursuivra jusqu’en juillet 2022.
www.autismfriendlyspaces.eu

Projet Autism Friendly Spaces : Conférence finale
2022-07-13 10:00 - 12:00 (Europe/Paris) | European Parliament, Rue Weirz 60, Brussels, 1047, Belgium
Les partenaires du projet Autism Friendly Spaces ont le plaisir de vous inviter à la conférence finale du projet Erasmus+. Vous découvrirez les façons de favoriser une société respectueuse de l’autisme (autism friendly) ainsi qu’un panel de bonnes pratiques sur l’accessibilité des espaces publics tels que les écoles, les magasins, les aéroports et les environnements de travail.
Cette conférence hybride sera animée par le député européen Alex Agius Saliba (S&D, Malte) et se déroulera au Parlement européen. L’accès en ligne se fera via la plateforme Webex.
Date : mercredi 13 juillet 2022
Heure : 10.00 – 12.00 CEST
Consultez le programme
Extension du délai d’inscription : N’oubliez pas de vous inscrire avant le 7 juillet via ce formulaire d’inscription.
Le projet Autism Friendly Spaces (AFS) vise à promouvoir une société plus accessible et la participation des jeunes autistes aux activités sociales. Le projet, financé par le programme Erasmus+ de l’Union européenne, a débuté en octobre 2019 et se poursuivra jusqu’en juillet 2022.
www.autismfriendlyspaces.eu

“ALERRT: Autism on the line!” - final international conference
2022-09-19 14:00 - 16:00 (Europe/Paris) | Online- Zoom
The partners of “ALERRT: Autism on the line!” are glad to invite you to the final international conference of this Erasmus+ project. You will have the chance to learn about this programme to train first responders to address the needs of autistic people in context of emergencies.
The event will be also be an opportunity to exchange with a range of stakeholders, and to learn from other initiative in the field, such as : the Inclusive Emergency project
This online conference will take place on September 19th from 14.00 to 16.00 CET (Brussels time) on Zoom and you can also register here.
You can find the agenda here.

The project ALERRT: Autism on the line! Educating first responders on how to recognise and treat autistic individuals. Funded by the European Commission, this project provides knowledge and skills to first responders across Europe on how to recognise, interact, and appropriately assist people on the autism spectrum in cases of emergency.

XIII AE´s International Congress
2022-10-07 - 2022-10-09 | Cracow (Poland) and Online
The 13th International Autism-Europe Congress is the first full online Congress with high quality access to its sessions, presentations, workshops, discussion panels and more. You can join in person as well, in the historical city of Cracow. The Congress brings expertise from around the world to promote a positive vision for autistic people and their families.
“Happy Journey through Life” is the theme of the Congress – to highlight the importance of taking a lifespan perspective on autism research and practice, with the promotion of wellbeing for all being the focal point.
The Congress is unique in terms of its history, scale and that it provides a platform for researchers, practitioners, students, autistic people and family members to come together.
The scientific programme includes keynote presentations, a diverse range of symposia topics, interactive poster sessions, workshops run by leading practitioners and moderated sessions to discuss challenging questions.
During the Congress autistic people and caregivers will be central to proceedings, providing a platform for their voice to be heard and to advocate for change.
We celebrate this diversity of perspectives to ensure a “Happy Journey through Life” for everyone.
More information

Autism by Autistic Voices international conference
2023-02-25 10:30 - 17:00 (Europe/Paris) | Hotel Mundial, Lisbon, Portugal
The Associação Portuguesa Voz do Autista is organising with MEP José Gusmão the international conference Autism by Autistic Voices, which will take place on 25th February (11-17h Lisbon time) at the Hotel Mundial in Lisbon (Portugal). The event will be streamed online via Gusmão’s Facebook page.
The event will have adaptations for autistic people, developed by the Portuguese association Voz do Autista, and attendees are encouraged to mention in the registration form any adaptation they need. The entrance is free, but requires registration if you want to attend in person in Lisbon.

If you register but cannot attend after all, please contact Leonor Figueiredo (Assistant of MEP Gusmão) at leonor.figueiredo@la.europarl.europa.eu .

Here the Facebook event.
Registration here.
Since autistic people are not always included in the development of social and equality policies at the European level, Autism by Autistic Voices aims at showing how this can be done, by giving space to autistic people currently contributing to policies at European and international level. Speakers at the conference will share their experiences of involvement in the implementation and development of social and equality policies, projects and research, with the aim of strengthening the possibilities for autistic people to live independently and in the community. In this way, the event aims to demonstrate not only the need for inclusion of autistic people, but also the added value they bring to the evolution of inclusion at global, regional and domestic levels.

The conference is also featuring Ben Rowsome, Autism-Europe’s representatives at the Youth Committee of the European Disability Forum (EDF) and Youth Ambassador at AsIam (Autism Spectrum Information Advice & Meeting Point). Mr Rowsome will contribute to the conference with a video message to share his experience of barriers faced by autistic people in our society.

Download the programme of the conference here.

Photo exhibition opening event at the European Parliament for World Autism Awareness Day 2023
2023-03-28 11:00 - 12:00 (Europe/Paris) | European Parliament, Rue Wiertz 60, Bruxelles, Bruxelles-Capitale, Région de;Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest, 1047, Belgium
As every year, Autism-Europe is celebrating World Autism Awareness Day (WAAD) on 2 April, and throughout the month of April. 2023 also marks a special occasion, as AE celebrates its 40th anniversary. This year’s WAAD campaign will be an opportunity to reflect on the advances made so far for the autism community and the work that remains to improve the lives of autistic people.
Autism-Europe and MEP Rosa Estarás (EPP, Spain) are therefore organising the photo exhibition “Building an inclusive society for autistic people” to illustrate the perspectives of autistic people and their lived experiences, as well as how society can be more inclusive.
The exhibition is part of the wider campaign for WAAD 2023. In this context, AE invites EU policy-makers to join the campaign for #AutismDay2023 and show their support for a more inclusive society for autistic people.
The exhibition will display twenty-five pictures by ten talented photographers from different European countries. It will last one week, from 27 to 31 March 2023, and it will be inaugurated by an opening event on 28 March.
Place: Area ASP Balcony 5 G, European Parliament, Brussels
Date: Tuesday 28 March 2023
Time: 11 – 12 AM
Download the press release about the WAAD 2023 events here.

Conference at the European Parliament for World Autism Awareness Day 2023
2023-03-30 09:00 - 11:00 (Europe/Paris) | European Parliament, Rue Wiertz 60, Bruxelles, Bruxelles-Capitale, Région de;Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest, 1047, Belgium
As every year, Autism-Europe is celebrating World Autism Awareness Day (WAAD) on 2 April and throughout the month of April. 2023 also marks a special occasion, as AE celebrates its 40th anniversary. This year’s WAAD campaign will be an opportunity to reflect on the advances made so far for the autism community and the work that remains to improve the lives of autistic people.
In this context, Autism-Europe and MEP Rosa Estarás (EPP, Spain) are organising the conference “Building an inclusive society for autistic people”. Participants will have the chance to hear first-hand experiences from autistic people and learn more on how to foster a more inclusive society for them, as well as key policy-developments to address their challenges.
The conference will take place at the European Parliament, allowing remote access via Webex.
Place: Room ASP 3E-2, European Parliament, Brussels
Date: Thursday 30 March 2023
Time: 9 – 11 AM
Please see the programme of the event:
09.00 – 09.20 – Welcome by MEP Rosa Estaràs
09.20 – 09.40 – Listening to the experiences of young autistic people about social inclusion, access to education and the labour market

Teacher: Mireia Castañeda Nicolau
Student: Jose Cansado Estarás
Student: Joan Jesús Bisbal Mora

09.40 – 10.00 – From neurodiversity to neuroharmony: fostering a society that works for autistic people – Peter Vermeulen, Sterkmakers in autisme / Autism in Context
10.00 – 10.20 – A Scientific Look at Recruitment: Examining Unconscious Biases Facing Autistic Talents – Vincent Grimaldi de Puget
10.20 – 10.30 – Developing an Autism strategy at national level to better address the needs of autistic people: the Spanish example – María Pindado, Confederación Autismo Espana
10.30 – 10.40 – Key building blocks for an inclusive society for autistic people – Zsuzsanna Szilvasy, Vice President, Autism-Europe
10.45 – 10.55 – Q&A and exchange with the conference participants
10.55 – Closing
DOWNLOAD THE PROGRAMME HERE.
Important: the deadline for registration was 22 March at 23:59.

World Autism Awareness Day 2023: Building an inclusive society for autistic people
2023-04-02
As always, Autism-Europe is celebrating World Autism Awareness Day (WAAD) on 2 April and throughout the month of April. This edition is particularly special, as AE celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2023. Thus, under the motto ‘Building an inclusive society for autistic people’, this year’s campaign will be an opportunity to reflect on the advances made so far for the autism community and the work that remains to be done to improve the lives of autistic people.
It is in this context that AE invites all of its members and the autism community to join the campaign for #AutismDay2023 and take part in its various activities. First of all, AE launched a photo competition to illustrate the perspectives of autistic people and the ways in which society can be more inclusive. A selection of the pictures received by AE is going to be displayed in an exhibition at the European Parliament in Brussels from 27 to 31 March.
Additionally, AE launched a call for video-testimonies to further amplify the voice of autistic people and to share their lived experiences, as well as their vision to continue building a more autism-friendly society. So, AE invites its members, partners and general public to share their testimonies by 10 March 2023. AE prepared a guidelines document available in French and English, where to find suggested questions and technical tips to record your video. The testimonies will be shared on AE’s social media channels, and AE invites all of its members and supporters to relay these messages throughout the month of April.
Then, on 30 March 2023, AE is co-organising a conference alongside MEP Rosa Estaràs at the European Parliament in Brussels.
Join us to mark Autism-Europe’s 40th anniversary!
Forty years ago, Autism-Europe was founded to promote the rights of autistic people and their families across Europe. Even though much remains to be done, AE and its members have come a long way together!
To celebrate this milestone, AE invites all of its members to join this campaign and also to use its anniversary logo for the occasion. You can find and download the logo and campaign visuals in this Facebook album.
Translations of the visuals will be available upon request. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Carmen Clemente, AE’s Communications and Campaigns Manager, at communication@autismeurope.org.
AE looks forward to seeing you all join World Autism Awareness Day 2023, always using the hashtag #AutismDay2023 on social media!

AE’s conference on “Building inclusive education and employment for autistic people”: a side-event to the EPPD at the European Parliament
2023-05-24 14:00 - 18:00 (Europe/Paris) | European Parliament, Rue Wiertz 60, Bruxelles, Bruxelles-Capitale, Région de;Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest, 1047, Belgium
Autism-Europe (AE) is organising, as a side-event to the European Parliament for People with Disabilities (EPPD), a conference hosted by MEP Chiara Gemma (ECR, Italy) at the European Parliament in Brussels on 24 May 2023 from 14:00 to 18:00.
As part of AE’s #AutismDay2023 campaign, the conference will present a range of initiatives and projects to foster access to education and employment for autistic people and offer a wide set of perspectives and experiences on the topic from key-stakeholder in Europe.
Autism-Europe’s conference at the European Parliament in Brussels with simultaneous interpretation in English and Italian is titled “Building inclusive education and employment for autistic people”. This EPPD side-event is running under AE’s current campaign “Building an inclusive society for autistic people”.
Place: Room ASP A1H1, European Parliament, Brussels / Interactio
Date: Wednesday 24 May 2023
Time: 14:00 – 18:00 CET
Download the conference programme here.
Please register here to attend the conference in person, as the number of places is limited.
Please register here to attend the conference online.
Deadline for registration to attend in person: 11 May at 15:00 CEST!

EASPD conference on family-centred Early Childhood Intervention: How to make it work
2023-06-08 08:00 - 2023-06-09 16:00 (Europe/Paris) | Tirana International Hotel & Conference Center, Sheshi Skënderbej 8, Tirana, 1001, Albania
Hosted in Tirana (Albania) on 8th – 9th June 2023, this conference will focus on how to build policies and practices in the field of support for children with disabilities, or with developmental difficulties, and their families. The conference will address the key elements of family-centred Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) practices and the creation of national ECI systems. It will also share the result of the EASPD and UNICEF joint action on emergency early childhood development for those who have been impacted by the war in Ukraine.
In July 2022, as a response to the Ukraine war, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and EASPD launched a project that will increase the availability of trained Family Consultants who will provide Early Childhood Development parental counselling and support to children at risk of or with developmental difficulties and disabilities. The project will also support system strengthening for the provision of ECI services in host countries as well as raise awareness of the importance of early support for developing the potential for every child.
The conference objectives will include:

Raise public awareness around family-centred ECI benefits and functioning;
Highlight good practices and methodologies in the field of ECI;
Share the experience of service provision to Ukraine refugees in neighbouring countries;
Zoom in on the Balkans, highlighting specific challenges and opportunities for the region;
Discuss the creation of national ECI systems and the role of the EU in facilitating it;
Encourage greater commitment of policy makers in prioritising ECI and Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) policies across Europe.

The conference is co-hosted by the European Association of Service providers for Persons with Disabilities (EASPD), Down Syndrome Albania Foundation, Help the Life and UNICEF.
More info on the conference programme here.
REGISTRATION OPEN HERE.

Pathways to care for autistic children, with and without associated epilepsy, across Europe.
2023-09-14 19:00 (Europe/Paris) | Online- Zoom
This talk will summarise the results from an autism care pathway analysis in Europe, which was part of a Value of Treatment (VoT) project. The care pathway of autistic children (with and without epilepsy) was analysed from the perspectives of carers, the autism community and professionals to identify service disparities. These are things that prevent autistic families from receiving information, support, timely screening/diagnosis of autism and associated epilepsy, intervention/follow-up support, effective treatment of epilepsy and the underlying causes of these gaps. Lastly, the group will discuss their proposed recommendations to improve this pathway.
Speakers – Dr Andreina Mendez, and our Autism Representatives: Roderik Plas and Pierre Violland
Join AIMS-2-TRIALS for our latest public webinar, with a talk about service access for autistic children, with and without epilepsy. At the end of the presentation, you’ll have the chance to ask questions of our researcher Andreina and our Autism Representatives, Roderik and Pierre.

SAVE THE DATE: Joint Webinar with the European Platform for Rehabilitation on the employment of autistic people
2023-10-25 14:00 - 16:00 (Europe/Paris) | Online- Zoom
Autism-Europe co-organises, together with the European Platform for Rehabilitation, a public webinar on employment.
Please find the agenda here and the registration link here.

AE member Autism Unlimited hosts event on autistic inclusion in schools
2024-06-25 10:00 - 11:00 (Europe/Paris) | Online
