The 2.1 million euros given to the programme will help to increase our understanding of autism and improve responses to the condition.
In order to achieve this, the programme will focus specifically on: studying the prevalence of autism in 12 countries in the EU; analysing the economic and social costs of autism; reviewing existing arrangements and developing proposals for early detection programmes; training professionals; validating biomarkers for the disorder and improving understanding of diagnosis, comorbidity, and effective care and support for adults and senior citizens with autism. Autism-Europe is responsible for formulating policy recommendations to European decisions-makers in the field of health and social inclusion. In January 2018 at the ASDEU conference in Madrid AE Director Aurélie Baranger presented these policy recommendations to representatives from the European Commission and ministries from a number of EU Member States.
Autism-Europe will work alongside nineteen partners, and two collaborating partners in this project. The full partners are the Medical University of Vienna(Austria), Ghent University (Belgium), the Bulgarian Association for Promotion of Education and Science (Bulgaria), Aarhus University (Denmark), the University of Oulu (Finland), University Toulouse 2 Jean Jaurès (France), the State Diagnostic and Counselling Centre (Iceland), the IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation (Italy), the National Health Institute Doutor Ricardo Jorge (Portugal), University of Warsaw (Poland), Dublin City University (Ireland), Victor Babes National Institute of Pathology(Romania), Fundación BioAvance (Spain), University of Salamanca (Spain), the Instituto de investigación de enfermedades raras of the Instituto de Salud Carlos III(Spain), London School of Economics (UK), King’s College London (UK) and the National Autistic Society (UK).
The two supporting partners are the Instituto Superior de Sanitá (Italy) and the Fundación Policlínica Gipuzkoa (Spain).