Use of early intervention for young children with autism spectrum disorder across Europe

Erica Salomone, Štěpánka Beranová, Frédérique Bonnet-Brilhault, Marlene Briciet Lauritsen, Magdalena Budisteanu, Jan Buitelaar, Ricardo Canal-Bedia, Gabriella Felhosi, Sue Fletcher-Watson, Christine Freitag, Joaquin Fuentes, Louise Gallagher, Patricia Garcia Primo, Fotinica Gliga, Marie Gomot, Jonathan Green, Mikael Heimann, Sigridur Loa Jónsdóttir, Anett Kaale, Rafal Kawa, Anneli Kylliainen, Sanne Lemcke, Silvana Markovska-Simoska, Peter B Marschik, Helen McConachie, Irma Moilanen, Filippo Muratori, Antonio Narzisi, Michele Noterdaeme, Guiomar Oliveira, Iris Oosterling, Mirjam Pijl, Nada Pop-Jordanova, Luise Poustka, Herbert Roeyers, Bernadette Rogé, Judith Sinzig, Astrid Vicente, Petra Warreyn, Tony Charman

Little is known about use of early interventions for autism spectrum disorder in Europe. Parents of children with autism spectrum disorder aged 7 years or younger (N = 1680) were recruited through parent organisations in 18 European countries and completed an online survey about the interventions their child received. There was considerable variation in use of interventions, and in some countries more than 20% of children received no intervention at all. The most frequently reported interventions were speech and language therapy (64%) and behavioural, developmental and relationship-based interventions (55%). In some parts of Europe, use of behavioural, developmental and relationship-based interventions was associated with higher parental educational level and time passed since diagnosis, rather than with child characteristics. These findings highlight the need to monitor use of intervention for children with autism spectrum disorder in Europe in order to contrast inequalities.