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Autism-Europe

AE

Autism-Europe’s overarching statutory mission is to improve the lives of autistic people by promoting their rights.

Lobbying Activity

Response to Strategy on Intergenerational Fairness

10 Nov 2025

Autism-Europe (AE), an international association representing autistic people and their families, welcomes the European Commissions initiative to develop a Strategy on Intergenerational Fairness. AE highlights the importance of awareness about needs and rights of autistic people and their families throughout life at every age. We promote a holistic approach, recognising that autistic children grow into autistic adults with changing support requirements, as highlighted in our campaign A Happy Journey Through Life. Legal protection is central to supporting autistic people, particularly concerning their right to live independently and their legal capacity, which the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) guarantees on an equal basis with others. AE emphasises that community-based living must replace institutional care, enabling choice in where and with whom to live. Community-based living includes ordinary homes, access to mainstream activities, and control over living arrangements for all. These protections ensure continuity of rights across the lifespan, supporting autonomy, inclusion, and quality of life. Early diagnosis allows autistic children to develop their potential through timely interventions. Undiagnosed adults face significant obstacles, as late identification limits access to much needed services and employment. Support should begin in childhood and continue across the lifespan, adapting as autistic people move through life stages. Autistic people often face mental health problems and co-occurring conditions, alongside physical health needs. Therefore, all health services must be accessible, tailored, and rights based. The wellbeing of informal carers of autistic people also requires attention, as prolonged caregiving can lead to various health problems. Continuity of care across the lifespan is essential for the health of both autistic people and their carers. Support must protect autistic people from loneliness through social inclusion, peer connections, and community networks. Preventing suicides is also critical, given elevated risks among autistic adolescents and adults. Accessible counselling, safe spaces, risk monitoring, and social networks help autistic people and their families remain connected and supported. Care must span from childhood to adulthood and old age, adapting to evolving needs. Person-centred support should include but is not limited to adapted early childhood education and care, adult intervention services, or long-term care. Informal carers of autistic people are mostly women, who bear significant emotional, physical, and financial burdens. Care systems must integrate support for informal carers, workforce development, and community-based services for all ages. Inclusive school education equips autistic students with academic, social, and life skills. Lifelong learning ensures autistic adults continue developing skills, vocational training, and personal enrichment. Digital literacy and assistive technologies are crucial to bridging the digital divide between young and old, both autistic people and carers. These elements promote autonomy, empowerment, and equal opportunity. Autistic adults face low employment due to insufficiently adapted training, vocational programs and workplaces. Shortages of trained job coaches and limited employer awareness hinder transitions from education to work. When employment is not adapted to their caring responsibilities, informal carers of autistic people face a heavy burden on their work-life balance and are subjected to discrimination by association. Inclusive recruitment, job-matched training, and workplace support are essential for autonomy, and economic wellbeing. Transitions from education to employment, and later to retirement are critical for autistic people. Tailored vocational support, continuity of services, social engagement and daily structure ensure inclusion for autistic people and their families.
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Response to General revision of the General Block Exemption Regulation

6 Oct 2025

Autism-Europe (AE) welcomes the opportunity to inform the revision of the General Block Exemption Regulation (GBER). This framework can play a decisive role in dismantling the structural barriers that prevent autistic people from accessing employment, training, and participation in society. Despite strong abilities and willingness to work, autistic adults remain among the most excluded from the labour market, highlighting the urgent need for more effective and inclusive state aid measures. The GBER is particularly relevant because its provisions on support for workers with disabilities align with states obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which calls for an open and inclusive labour market. Current measures such as workplace adaptation, assistive technologies, job coaching, and wage subsidies provide an important foundation, but their potential is limited by unclear terminology, insufficient scope, and inadequate funding. To create real impact, the regulation must be clarified, expanded, and explicitly designed to address the barriers autistic people face. Autism-Europe recommends: Assistive technology and digitalisation: Autistic workers often depend on digital accessibility, adaptive interfaces, and tailored technologies. The GBER should ensure that assistive technologies, employer training, and ongoing workplace adjustments are explicitly covered as eligible costs, not only initial training. Inclusive training and vocational education: Conventional training systems often exclude autistic people due to rigid methods and inaccessible formats. The regulation should require that all supported training include accessibility features, flexible curricula, and reasonable adjustments to enable full participation. Regional equity: In less resourced regions, the costs of workplace adaptation can be prohibitive. Enhanced support in such areas is vital to prevent territorial inequalities and ensure autistic people outside urban centres have fair access to employment. Inclusion in strategic sectors: Many autistic people bring skills that are highly valuable in areas such as digitalisation, data analysis, and quality assurance. The GBER should incentivise neurodiversity across all sectors, while avoiding stereotypes that limit opportunities to narrow fields. Clarity and legal certainty: Ambiguous terms such as reasonable accommodation or additional costs discourage employers, particularly small enterprises, from engaging. The regulation should provide clear, harmonised definitions and practical autism-specific examples to guide implementation. Integrated and flexible projects: Employers and regions should be able to design projects that combine digital, green, and social objectives, with autism inclusion embedded as a core component. Funding ceilings should be adjusted to reflect rising costs and real needs so that accessibility measures can be fully covered alongside innovation and sustainability investments. Without revision, the GBER risks perpetuating barriers that leave autistic people on the margins of the labour market. Autism-Europe therefore calls for stronger, clearer rules that embed autism inclusion in state aid, expanded eligible costs, mandatory accessibility in training and digitalisation support, additional aid for disadvantaged regions, recognition of autism inclusion as a driver of competitiveness, and greater flexibility for integrated projects. State aid is more than an economic instrument: it is also a human rights tool. By ensuring autistic people benefit from Europes social, digital, and green transitions, the Union can become not only more competitive, but also more inclusive and resilient.
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Response to Action plan against cyberbullying

29 Sept 2025

Autism-Europe (AE), representing autistic people and their families through around 90 member organizations in 40 countries, including in 26 EU member states, welcomes the European Commissions initiative to develop an EU-wide Action Plan against cyberbullying. Autistic youth are disproportionately affected by cyberbullying due to cognitive, sensory, emotional, and structural vulnerabilities. These include difficulties interpreting social cues, heightened sensory sensitivities, and emotional regulation challenges, which can lead to distress responses often misinterpreted by peers and educators. Autistic people frequently rely on digital spaces to connect with others, but this reliance increases their exposure to online abuse. Cyberbullying has severe consequences, including anxiety, depression, school absenteeism, and long-term social exclusion. Autistic girls and women, often underdiagnosed, face increased risks of absenteeism when targeted online. Those with co-occurring conditions such as ADHD, learning disabilities, or mental health issues are similarly at risk, yet frequently receive inadequate support. Autistic people who also identify as LGBTIQ+, or belong to racialised, ethnic, or religious minority groups, experience compounded discrimination and are disproportionately affected by cyberbullying. The intersecting factors gender, disability, sexual orientation, race, and religion create complex layers of vulnerability that demand inclusive, targeted, and rights-based responses. A 2022 meta-analysis found that 44% of autistic minors had experienced victimisation, with 13% affected by cyberbullying and 84% experiencing multiple forms of abuse. AE urges the European Commission to include autism-specific awareness campaigns, as recommended by Article 8 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) and the 2025 CRPDs Concluding Observations. The Action Plan should integrate diverse autistic perspectives to avoid one-size-fits-all approaches and promote a strategic, coordinated response. It should encourage EU Member States to adapt internet safety education for autistic youth, especially those with intellectual disabilities or higher support needs, using Easy-to-Read formats and visual materials. Belgiums STAR+ project, featured on the Better Internet for Kids portal, is a good practice example. The Action Plan should also invest in autism-specific victim support services, including tailored psychosocial assistance and counselling for families. AEs Polish member Jim Foundation has emphasized the importance of suicide prevention and mental health support for bullied autistic and ADHD youth. AEs Norwegian member Autismeforeningen has highlighted the link between bullying, sensory overload, and school absenteeism. The Action Plan should promote inclusive school environments with predictable structures, quiet areas, visual supports, flexible schedules, and individualized support plans. It should also support gradual reintegration strategies and peer support initiatives. Anti-cyberbullying policies must be co-produced with autistic people and their representative organizations, such as AE, to ensure lived experiences shape effective responses. The Action Plan must support research that provides disaggregated data on cyberbullying among autistic populations and foster multi-stakeholder collaboration across families, schools, NGOs, public authorities, and digital platforms. Good practices already exist, such as Spains 2025 agreement between Autismo España and the Ministry of Youth and Children, which includes conflict resolution platforms and mental health promotion. Cyberbullying is not merely a technological issue. It is a matter of human rights, ethics, and social justice. The EU has a unique opportunity to lead by ensuring digital inclusion and robust protection for autistic people and their families.
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Response to EU tourism strategy

9 Sept 2025

Please find Autism Europe's feedback to the Commission's proposed tourism strategy.
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Response to The new Action Plan on the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights

8 Sept 2025

Autism-Europe (AE), an international association representing autistic people and their families, welcomes the continued and meaningful efforts of the European Commission (EC) to implement European Pillar of Social Rights (EPSR) Principle 17, which focuses on the inclusion of persons with disabilities. The Strategy on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2021-2030 adopted by the EC, served as a cornerstone of the first EPSR Action Plan (AP) launched in 2021. However, the Strategys outlined actions only extend until 2025. Without sustained and forward-looking measures to ensure its full implementation, tangible progress on Principle 17 risks being stalled - leaving the EPSR without one of its essential foundations. AE therefore encourages the European Commission to commit to developing new initiatives under the Strategy and urges that ambitious and concrete actions remain central to the upcoming Action Plan. On employment, the European Union (EU) aligned its overarching objectives with EPSR Chapter II, which promotes equal opportunities and access to the labour market. Despite these efforts, the unemployment rate among people with disabilities remains disproportionately high. This situation is particularly concerning for autistic jobseekers facing the highest unemployment rate within the disability community estimated at around 90%. Therefore, AE supports closing the disability employment gap by delivering on the Employment Disability Package, another initiative of the Strategy on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, through supporting implementation and achieving ambitious targets for employment of disabled people. Moreover, AE calls for further targeted EU initiatives supporting autistic people accessing the open labour market, developing essential skills for employment and independent living, benefiting from investment in community-based services, accessible housing, transport, and public infrastructure. Autism-Europe proposes expanding the scope of the European Disability Card - vital for autistic people - to facilitate mutual recognition of disability status and ensure access to social protections across Member States. Regarding EPSR Principle 2, which promotes gender equality, AE acknowledges the adoption of EU legislation targeting violence against women. Nonetheless, AE is disappointed that the law did not include a ban on the forced sterilisation of women and girls with disabilities. Not criminalising this form of violence predominantly affecting disabled women and girls leaves them vulnerable and contributes to normalising human rights violations. It is essential to tackle intersectional discrimination, recognising how autism intersects with age, gender, and socio-economic status. European Pillar of Social Rights Chapter III, which addresses social protection and inclusion, led to the development of the European Care Strategy - a significant step forward implementing Principle 18 on long-term care. This Strategy rightly acknowledges the essential role of care and support services for people with disabilities. However, AE regrets that it has not resulted in binding obligations for EU Member States, which limits its practical impact. The EU should strengthen the rights and recognition of informal carers through adequate financial and structural support, access to services and training, and family-friendly work-life balance policies, including flexible working arrangements. (cf. attachment). AE also calls for the adoption of an Action Plan for Social Services to ensure quality, accessible, and affordable care, and to promote community-based models. This plan should prioritise rights-based, needs-based, and person-centred care throughout the life course of autistic people. Finally, it is essential to improve the Social Scoreboard by incorporating disaggregated data by type of disability. This would enable more tailored interventions and effective monitoring of progress in promoting inclusion and social rights.
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Response to EU Civil Society Strategy

5 Sept 2025

Autism-Europe (AE), an international association representing autistic people and their families, calls on the European Commission (EC) to adopt a Civil Society Strategy that acknowledges the essential role of civil society in strengthening democracy, protecting fundamental rights and promoting social inclusion. AE underlines that such a strategy should not rely on fragmented initiatives but be built on a coherent, consistent and well-funded framework at the level of the European Union (EU). The effectiveness of civil society input can be seen in the European Parliament (EP) resolution on harmonising the rights of autistic people (2023/2728(RSP)). This resolution followed Petition No 0822/2022 submitted by AE member Autismo España, which called for extending the European Disability Card to cover all autistic people in the EU. The example illustrates how action from civil society organisations can bring about meaningful change at EU level. To ensure that autistic people and their families are genuinely included, the European Commission should consult them early in both national and regional processes. Consultations must be accessible and inclusive, with sufficient timeframes, less technical language and opportunities for smaller and regional associations. Feedback mechanisms should also be strengthened to make clear how civil society contributions shape policy outcomes. Autism-Europe supports a broad understanding of civil society, including representative organisations of people with disabilities, as well as their support networks and service providers at European, national and regional levels. AE further recommends stronger engagement between civil society and the European Commissions units, working groups and platforms, including the Disability Platform. To this end, Autism-Europe proposes creating a Civil Society Platform linking EC entities responsible for disability, inclusion, equal treatment, human rights, employment, education and care. This would improve coordination across policy fields and give civil society a more consistent voice. Civil dialogue should be placed on equal terms with social dialogue, recognising its importance for inclusive decision-making. The European Commission should also ensure transparent and timely communication, supported by simplified administrative procedures. Building the capacity of public administrations is necessary so officials understand the diversity and governance structures of civil society. AE recommends appointing a European Commissioner-level focal point responsible for safeguarding civil society organisations. Academia, professionals and regional disability organisations, together with their networks and service providers, should also be engaged in protecting civic space. Recognising that resilience depends on collaboration, Autism-Europe highlights the importance of supporting broader coalitions of organisations working together to defend democratic participation and civic freedoms. To protect civic space, AE calls for an independent body at EU level to monitor developments and urges the European Commission to counter disinformation, including harmful claims linking autism to vaccines. At the same time, positive narratives about the contribution of civil society should be promoted, while attacks against organisations must be addressed firmly. For long-term stability, Autism-Europe calls on the EU to explicitly recognise advocacy as a legitimate activity under operating grants. These grants should come with lower co-funding requirements and allow in-kind contributions, which are essential for smaller organisations. Dedicated funding mechanisms at national and regional levels are also needed, alongside harmonised rules across all EU programmes, particularly given recent reductions to operating grants in some areas that threaten the sustainability of civil society actors..
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Response to Mid-Term Review: Social Economy Action Plan

16 Jul 2025

Autism-Europe (AE), representing over 90 organizations across 40+ countries, welcomes the mid-term review of the Social Economy Action Plan (SEAP). AE stresses that the social economy must better support autistic people, who face extreme unemployment and social exclusion. Inclusion through supported employment, entrepreneurship, and tailored services is possible, but current strategies often overlook autistic-specific needs. Since SEAPs launch in 2021, progress has been made. The 2023 Council Recommendation on social economy includes disabled people and promotes inclusive services. Some countries, such as France and Spain, have developed promising national strategies. Yet significant challenges remain, such as poor access to funding and training, lack of disaggregated data, limited digital accessibility, and minimal involvement of autistic people in co-producing solutions. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of community-based services, many of which were led by autism organizations. EU policy has evolved, with the European Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the Framework on Social Services of Excellence, and the 2023 Parliament resolution on autistic rights all calling for action. The next phase of SEAP must align with these developments. AE identifies four key sectors with high potential for autistic inclusion. In care and social services, social economy actors provide crucial person-centred support for independent living, aligned with the UN CRPD. In employment, Work Integration Social Enterprises (WISEs) can offer structured, supportive jobs and vocational training. In digital and creative industries, many autistic people excel in areas such as data, design, and media. These sectors offer flexible, sensory-aware work environments. The green and circular economy provides process-oriented jobs in recycling and upcycling, well-suited to autistic strengths and aligned with EU environmental goals. To ensure greater impact from 20262030, AE recommends more investment in high-quality, community-based social services and recognition of autism organizations as key social economy actors. Employment inclusion must expand through support for WISEs, and a dedicated EU pilot should promote inclusive jobs in priority sectors. Administrative barriers to funding should be reduced for autism groups, and their dual role in service and advocacy should be recognised. Finally, SEAP must require autism-specific data collection and outcome monitoring. Good practices across Europe show what is possible. In France, AFG Autisme provides lifelong, person-centred care. In Finland, the Autism Foundation offers housing support that promotes independence. In Italy, LEM and AUT AUT show how digital and hospitality employment can work in autism-inclusive ways. Croatias Humana Nova shows how the circular economy can combine sustainability with inclusion. AE concludes that the social economy has the potential to deliver dignity, opportunity, and full participation for autistic people. Realising this will require targeted, systemic action in the next phase of the Social Economy Action Plan.
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Response to LGBTIQ Equality Strategy

24 Jun 2025

Autism-Europe welcomes the opportunity to provide feedback to the Commission on its LGBTQI Equality Strategy. As the largest European organization representing the autistic community, their families and support workers, we wish to provide some general guidance to the Commission regarding Autism and LGBTQI rights. Persons with disabilities, including autistic people are on average more likely to be LGBTQI+ than the general population . As a community we are also far more likely to face increased rates of intersectional discrimination due to sexual orientation, gender identity, ethnic, racial and national backgrounds. According to the latest work by the Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) LGBTQI+ people with disabilities experience greater discrimination at all levels of life . This discrimination becomes more overt the more intersecting identities an individual has, with those who are Trans, have a disability and come from a migrant background face the highest levels of discrimination within Europe. For autistic people this discrimination leads to heightened stress, social exclusion and lower quality of life. People with disabilities, particularly autistic people, are more likely to experience poverty, social exclusion, abuse and homelessness then our neurotypical peers. These socioeconomic stressors are more likely to be intensified the more intersectional identities one holds. Persons with disabilities who are LGTBQI+, frequently encounter discrimination which have lasting negative influence on their abilities to fully live their lives possible. The costs associated with living with disability can be difficult to manage for each individual. These costs act as a structural barrier towards an individuals ability to participate fully in society. These obstacles are compounded, when anti LGBTQI+ rhetoric leads to regressive policy. When people are not given the supports they need to live their lives fully, when their identities are under attack, and when public policy regulates what they do to their bodies, they are being discriminated against. Identifying the correct actions to address everything take will require close collaboration with the people the strategy is designed to protect. As LGBTQ+ people with disabilities are frequently excluded from discussions around LGBTQ+ policy, extra efforts are needed to involve them, and the organisations that represent them. Autistic people due to their different ways of communicating, thinking and behaving are particularly vulnerable to discrimination . Unfortunately many autistic people are still living in closed institutions where abuse is likely to occur. Furthermore, the mechanisms in which to report such discrimination are not always accessible for autistic people. This means that LGBTQI+ autistic people can encounter discrimination but are unable to avail of protections provided to them under national and EU laws. To address the needs of LGBTQI+ autistic people we ask the for the following actions to be included in the next strategy: Expand protections against discrimination - Expand the scope of EU anti-discrimination legislation to protections against discrimination for disability status, gender diversity, and sexual orientation in all areas of life. Ensure LGBTQI+ people with disabilities are meaningfully included in all future decisions regarding their lives and that all future policy initiatives are cocreated with LGBTQI+ persons with disabilities. Provide adapted reporting mechanisms discrimination and abuse using for Easy to Use and Easy to Understand principles in the design of such systems. Promote reasonable and procedural adaptation. Ensure protection of abuse in closed settings, such as institutions, and promote deinstitutionalization. Develop clear monitoring systems for investigation and highlighting discrimination. Collect disaggregated data on incidents of discrimination against LGBTQI+ disabled people in order to understand the scale of
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Response to European Disability Card

10 Nov 2023

Autism-Europe (AE) is convinced that the European Commissions proposal for the European Disability Card is landmark for the disability movement in Europe. Alongside EDF, AE has been advocating for such a card for more than a decade. Therefore, AE welcomes this crucial step forward to improve the free movement of persons with disabilities and the mutual recognition of the disability status across Europe. AE welcomes the European Disability Card legislative proposal as autistic people would particularly benefit from it. It is indeed critical that people with invisible disabilities (such as autistic people) can easily prove their disability without hassle when traveling in the European Union. We particularly welcome the fact that the proposal does not foresee a restricted list of services compared to the initial pilot project, but applies to all public and private services. AE also welcomes that the European Commission proposes a Directive, i.e. a binding legislation that includes both the European Disability Card and the Disability Parking Card (both in digital and physical formats). However, a Regulation would have ensured enhanced harmonisation. However, the current European Disability Card proposal only covers temporary travels (tourists and people on short stays). We thus regret that access to social protection in relation to permanent moving to another Member States to work or study remains an issue. Disability recognition can be especially lengthy and complex for autistic people, as there is currently no systematic mutual recognition of autism diagnosis across Europe. Autistic people face waiting times to access diagnosis services across Europe, which adds to the difficulties linked to the disability recognition process in a new country. The Disability Card should provide this temporary protection while the disability is being re-assed in the new country of residence when somebody moved with a work contract or enrolled in and education facility. The card should also be eligiblr to third country nationals who are resident in the EU and have their disability recognised by a Member State. Autistic people need easy access to information about the European Disability Card and how to obtain it. The process to get a European Disability Card should not be bureaucratic, and all steps should be available in easy to understand format. Autistic people should be involved in the implementation and the evaluation of the directive alongside other disabled people. The scheme should remain voluntary and free of charge, and it should never be an obligation to show the Card as proof of disability for services that are granted under other Union legislation, such as the right to assistance at airports under Regulation 1107/2006. AE urges the EU institutions and national policy-makers to act fast to enhance the proposal and pass it without delay. AE is willing to collaborate who wish to have further information on how these cards can benefit autistic people.
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Response to Integrated child protection systems

20 Oct 2023

AE welcomes the initiative aimed at supporting the development and strengthening of integrated child protection systems within the EU strategy on the rights of the child, in line with UNCRPD Article 16 on freedom from exploitation, violence and abuse, and Article 7 on children with disabilities. Autistic children are particularly in need of such initiative because they are more likely to be victimised. AE aligns itself with the European Disability Forum (EDF) when calling for EU action on integrated child protection systems that include children with disabilities. The risk of abuse and violence is particularly high for children with disabilities. The systemic violence children with disabilities are subjected to hinders their development and puts them at risk. Institutionalisation of children with disabilities significantly increases their risk of abuse and severe disciplining, including corporal punishment and restraint, as well as cases of forced sterilisation, which is still legal to inflict upon minors in three EU Member States. In addition, growing up in an institution can have an impact on a child with disabilities, well into their adult life. Furthermore, children and young people with disabilities in institutions are shown to be less likely to attend school than their peers, missing the crucially formative contribution that education can provide in preparing a person with disabilities for independence in adulthood. Therefore, we call on the European Commission to support EU member states in their transition away from institutions and towards family-based care for all children. AE would also like to highlight the occurrences of abusive placements of autistic children in the child protection system (e.g. Affaire Rachel in France ) notably due to a lack of understanding of autism and how it manifests itself. There is a need for autism-specific training of professionals working in the field of child protection, law enforcement, healthcare, education, etc. on how to recognise (undiagnosed) autistic children and how to meet their needs. Autism-Europe calls on the European Commission and EU Member states to facilitate exchange of good practices on autism trainings for professionals and develop guidelines for supporting autistic children in child protection systems. Moreover, there should be specific case-by-case systematic assessments of children placed in childcare for emotional and learning issues to detect possible disabilities or conditions that may have been mistaken for signs of child abuse. Additionally, systems for child protection must pay special attention to the link between disability and the precarity of households (notably due to stress, lack of adequate support services, loss of income and additional costs). It is thus necessary to collect data on disabled children who live in disadvantaged family contexts so that policies and actions to support their quality of life are effective and do not lead to institutionalisation as the only alternative. Autistic children are more likely to be bullied, including through cyberbullying, compared to non-autistic children but also compared to children with other disabilities. Adequate systems must be put in place to report such issues and hold the perpetrators accountable. A study in several EU countries found that children with and without special needs education can identify bullying more easily when trained about it. A study from Sweden found autistic children and adolescents are a group particularly targeted for sexual abuse. Autistic children, and especially those with mental issues, are also disproportionally affected by suicide. AE calls on the European Commission and the EU Member States to pay particular attention to all these different interrelated issues and the support needs of autistic people and facilitate the exchange of training of professionals and peers as well as prevention measures for autistic children. See uploaded file for full references.
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Response to A comprehensive approach to mental health

15 Feb 2023

Autism-Europe (AE), an international association representing autistic people and their families with 90 members in 40 countries including 26 EU member states, welcomes the European Commissions growing commitment towards mental health and welcomes the upcoming initiative for a comprehensive approach to mental health. In line with Mental Health Europe, we call for a European Mental Health Strategy, with a clear timeline, adequate budget, objectives, as well as indicators to monitor progress. It is essential that the strategy is anchored in a rights-based perspective and the psychosocial model of understanding mental health to address social determinants, structural barriers and provide tailored support. In order to address the needs of autistic people experiencing mental health issues and psychosocial disabilities, we call for: Identifying and removing barriers that autistic people encounter when seeking help for mental health and other health-related issues Identifying autistic people as high-risk groups concerning mental health issues in prevention policy and clinical guidelines Improving access to diagnosis for older children, adolescents and adults, including appropriate post-diagnostic mental health assessment and treatment Ensuring that mental health services provide autistic people, with or without intellectual disabilities, with services for a range of co-occurring conditions, including suicidality screening and prevention Ensuring adaption to the environment and accommodations across mental health provision for autistic people (e.g., more and longer therapy sessions, continuity of care, appropriate sensory environments, alternative formats for making emergency appointments that do not involve using a phone or meeting someone face to face) Developing accreditation to recognize mental health service providers who excel in the successful support of autistic people. Fostering autism understanding for all staff working in the mental health field by promoting systematic training in autism Promoting a personalised approach to interventions according to individual and environmental factors Promoting personalised, evidenced-based, community-based and affordable mental health services, e.g. autism adapted counselling or low-level psychological therapy support (services) for mental health dedicated to autistic people and their carers/relatives/families Preventing interruptions to standard health and social care, including mental health interventions Fostering access to mental health care, diagnosis and early interventions tailored specifically to the needs of autistic women and children, the LGBTI community on the autism spectrum, autistic people of colour as well as the elderly on the autism spectrum Promoting access to psychological interventions designed to alleviate the consequences of psychosocial disabilities and mental health issues due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and in particular, evidence-based tele-mental health services accessible to autistic people and their carers/relatives Promoting access to health care and intervention to alleviate the traumatic and psychological consequences of psychosocial disabilities and mental health issues due to armed conflicts for autistic victims/witnesses/families/carers Please refer to our position paper for more information.
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Response to European Disability Card

22 Dec 2022

Autism-Europe (AE), an international association representing autistic people and their families with 90 members in 40 countries, welcomes the EU Disability Card. The 2021 Commission feasibility study found the EU Disability Card to be effective. The pilot card scheme has introduced a mutual recognition of disability status across the participating EU Member States. The participating service providers recognised the EU Disability Card as an official document attesting to the disability status of persons with disabilities. It is particularly relevant for people with invisible disabilities. Indeed, there must be more awareness of invisible disabilities across sectors. It is equally critical that people with invisible disabilities can easily prove their disability without the hassle and lengthy explanation. Nowadays, the lack of mutual recognition of autism diagnosis and disability status across Europe prevents autistic people and their families from fully exercising their freedom of movement. Autistic people across Europe commonly face lengthy delays to access diagnostic services and, in turn, have their disability status recognised. It is thus very challenging to move abroad and to have to go through the diagnosis process and disability assessment again as is currently the case. Therefore, the EU Disability Card should give access temporarily to public social entitlements associated with having a disability when the disabled person moves to another Member State to study or to work, while the person with a disability gets their disability re-assessed and certified. As experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic, in some instances, it is vital to alert and inform those interacting with autistic people so that they can receive reasonable accommodation for their disability and their co-occurring conditions. Over the years, many examples of autism cards that facilitate recognition of disability status, communication, and access to reasonable accommodations have been introduced by autism organisations across Europe. For example, the Autism Spectrum Information Advice & Meeting Point (AsIam), an Autism-Europe's member association from Ireland, delivered the AsIAm Autism ID. The objective is also for the card to be of use outside of Ireland. Thus, for better recognition abroad the AsIam Autism ID Card also features the logo of Autism-Europe. Thus Autism-Europe strongly supports an EU disability card and recommends that the EU Disability Card should be based on binding legislation, preferably a Regulation to ensure a harmonised implementation across EU member states. The EU Disability card should also apply to all areas of services and supports already provided for national citizens with disabilities. Its format should be fully accessible, have a standardised size (e.g. bank card format) and have the possibility to be connected to a digital interface. It is also essential to promote awareness of the EU Disability Card amongst all stakeholders. To this end, an EU-level website must be set up in all official EU languages with practical details for every EU Member State regarding where to get EU Disability Card , how the EU Disability Card works, and the scope of benefits associated with the card. However, the use of the EU Disability Card by disabled people must remain voluntary, and having a Card must not be an obligation to prove disability. To support the implementation of the EU Disability Card scheme, it is necessary to dedicate adequate funding for setting it up, developing and maintaining its EU-level website, and for addressing continuous operational needs. It is also key to ensure close collaboration with persons with disabilities, their families, and their representative associations for its development and implementation.
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Response to Enabling factors for digital education

16 Sept 2022

In line with the Digital Education Action Plan (2021-27)'s objectives, it is key that the digital transformation in the field of education is inclusive of learners with disabilities. The COVID-19 pandemic brought to light the discrimination experienced by persons with disabilities to access distant and online education due to a lack of accommodation. Facilitating autonomous equal access to digital technologies to autistic learners that would guarantee the continuity of the educational processes and their social and personal development, even in situations of lockdown is crucial. It requires designing and reinventing educational online/virtual tools. The barriers to accessing digital technologies include a lack of accessible tools; a lack of digital competencies (teachers, people with disabilities & their families); poorly adapted educational methodologies; and a lack of technological resources. Indeed, digital tools are usually designed for the general population without taking into account the needs of autistic people with learning disabilities. Adapted tools that incorporate easy-to-read texts and use of pictograms and graphic resources are strongly required. Moreover, training of educational staff on teaching and communication strategies in the digital environment for autistic people is a key factor for accessible digital education across EU countries. Likewise, support and training for families are essential. In addition, many autistic people and their families lack the technological resources to autonomously access digital services such as online training and care. It is thus key to address the digital gap and families should receive guidance and support to assist in setting up equipment and support the education program for their children with disabilities. Information and communications technology (ICT) can also be beneficial to autistic learners. The OECD refers also to “assistive technology” as a beneficial approach that can improve learning outcomes of persons with learning disabilities. ICT or assistive technology can strengthen the skills of people with disabilities and autistic people while using interactive learning materials, which can benefit both their academic skills and in some cases their social interaction. Recommendations for the EU - To promote reasonable accommodation for autistic learners in all education settings. Inclusive and accessible digital education formats are necessary for autistic people, whenever needed they should also be provided with alternative formats. - Prioritize accessible digital technologies that facilitate learning at all levels of education (including VET and tertiary education). - Provide support to autistic people to successfully navigate the digital environment and online education platforms. - Support specialized training for education professionals in the use of these technologies and how to create accessible content. - EU funds to be dedicated to supporting the training of educational staff on teaching and communication strategies for autistic people, as well as common standards for their qualifications. - Families of autistic people should be part of the digital education process. Parents should have access to support and training on how to use the new technologies at home and how they can support their autistic children - Monitoring and evaluation of new technologies in educational settings. Autistic people should evaluate and rate the digital education tools they use regularly. - Promote data collection on the numbers of autistic learners who are benefiting from digital education. Comparable data is essential to monitor progress and for evidence-based policymaking. - Collect best practices across the EU Member States -The Commission should regularly monitor through the Ministries of Education how the Member States accommodate the digital education of learners with disabilities and autistic learners.
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Meeting with Anne-Sophie Pelletier (Member of the European Parliament)

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Meeting with Radka Maxová (Member of the European Parliament)

21 Apr 2021 · EU Vocational Education and Training (VET) policies and good practices for fostering inclusion of autistic people