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

TLDR

Early intervention use for autism spectrum disorder in Europe is poorly understood. The study surveyed 1,680 parents of children aged seven or younger across 18 European countries via an online questionnaire about the interventions their child received. Intervention use varied widely, with over 20% of children in some countries receiving none; speech and language therapy (64%) and behavioural, developmental, and relationship‑based interventions (55%) were most common, and their use correlated more with parental education and time since diagnosis than with child characteristics, underscoring the need to monitor inequalities.

Abstract

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.