Autism-Europe is an international

non-profit association A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

located in

Brussels, Belgium Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...

. The organisation is co-funded by the

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been des ...

. The association's mission is to advance the rights of people with

autism The autism spectrum, often referred to as just autism or in the context of a professional diagnosis autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or autism spectrum condition (ASC), is a neurodevelopmental condition (or conditions) characterized by difficulti ...

in all areas of life through advocacy work and

raising awareness Consciousness raising (also called awareness raising) is a form of activism popularized by United States feminists in the late 1960s. It often takes the form of a group of people attempting to focus the attention of a wider group on some cause or ...

. This includes representing people with autism in

European institutions European integration is the process of industrial, economic, political, legal, social, and cultural integration of states wholly or partially in Europe or nearby. European integration has primarily come about through the European Union and its ...

, promoting access to habilitation and education, and promoting the exchange of information, good practices, and experiences. Autism-Europe operates as an umbrella organization, bringing together 80 autism organisations in 34

European countries The list below includes all entities falling even partially under any of the various common definitions of Europe, geographical or political. Fifty generally recognised sovereign states, Kosovo with limited, but substantial, international reco ...

, including 26 European Union member states.

History

1980s and the beginnings

Autism-Europe was founded in 1983 by a group of national and regional parents' associations. It was established following the first European Conference of Associations of Parents in

Ghent Ghent ( nl, Gent ; french: Gand ; traditional English: Gaunt) is a city and a municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of the East Flanders province, and the third largest in the country, exceeded in ...

, Belgium, in 1980. Under its first president, ''Jean Charles Salmon'', the organisation identified its three main functions as monitoring, advocacy and recommendation; more specifically: * to closely observe the treatment of, and care provided for, people with autism; * to advocate to those responsible for the treatment and status of people with autism; * to create proposals with the aim of promoting the well-being and interests of people with autism. Autism-Europe was founded in the context of a changing public understanding of all disabilities. A new conception of

disability Disability is the experience of any condition that makes it more difficult for a person to do certain activities or have equitable access within a given society. Disabilities may be Cognitive disability, cognitive, Developmental disability, dev ...

was emerging, called the "

social model of disability The social model of disability identifies systemic barriers, derogatory attitudes, and social exclusion (intentional or inadvertent), which make it difficult or impossible for disabled people to attain their valued functionings. The social mode ...

" (as opposed to the "

medical model of disability The medical model of disability, or medical model, is based in a biomedical perception of disability. This model links a disability diagnosis to an individual's physical body. The model supposes that this disability may reduce the individual's qua ...

"), which aimed to redefine disability to focus on the relationship between people and their environment. This understanding is based on the idea that social barriers must be removed to enable people with disabilities to participate fully in society, becoming active members who can represent themselves and exercise their rights.

1990s

The Charter of rights for people with autism

In 1992, Autism-Europe members created the "''Charter for Persons with Autism''", a

Charter A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified. It is implicit that the granter retains superiority (or sovereignty), and that the rec ...

which outlined the rights of autistic people in all aspects of life. Following that, Autism-Europe decided that for the charter to have relevance at the European level, it must also have political endorsement. Autism-Europe therefore campaigned for political support and approval for the charter. The charter was adopted as a written declaration by the

European Parliament The European Parliament (EP) is one of the legislative bodies of the European Union and one of its seven institutions. Together with the Council of the European Union (known as the Council and informally as the Council of Ministers), it adopts ...

in 1996.

2000s

Collective complaint on the right to education in France

Autism-Europe launched the first collective complaint before the

Council of Europe The Council of Europe (CoE; french: Conseil de l'Europe, ) is an international organisation founded in the wake of World War II to uphold European Convention on Human Rights, human rights, democracy and the Law in Europe, rule of law in Europe. ...

on behalf of people with disabilities in 2002. Autism-Europe was represented by ''Evelyne Friedel'', a lawyer with an autistic son. In 2004, the

publicly announced its condemnation of France for having failed its educational obligations to persons with autism under the revised European Social Charter. The Council of Europe's decision put pressure on France and other countries in the Council of Europe to live up to their obligations under the European Social Charter by providing education for people with autism, both within

mainstream Mainstream may refer to: Film * ''Mainstream'' (film), a 2020 American film Literature * ''Mainstream'' (fanzine), a science fiction fanzine * Mainstream Publishing, a Scottish publisher * ''Mainstream'', a 1943 book by Hamilton Basso Mu ...

and specialised schools. Following the decision, the

French government The Government of France ( French: ''Gouvernement français''), officially the Government of the French Republic (''Gouvernement de la République française'' ), exercises executive power in France. It is composed of the Prime Minister, who ...

launched its first "''Autism Plan''", which included measures to create new facilities and include children with autism in mainstream schools.

United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

In 2006, after four years of negotiations, the

United Nations General Assembly The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA or GA; french: link=no, Assemblée générale, AG) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN), serving as the main deliberative, policymaking, and representative organ of the UN. Curr ...

adopted a new convention specifically for people with disabilities. The

Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is an international human rights treaty of the United Nations intended to protect the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities. Parties to the convention are required to promote, ...

reaffirms that all people with all types of disabilities, including autism, must enjoy all human rights and fundamental freedoms. It is legally binding for countries that ratify it. Autism-Europe took part in the consultation process leading to the drafting and adoption of the UN Convention, and continues taking part in the review process of the

by the United Nations. The convention has since been ratified by most countries in

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

, as well as the European Union, and therefore must be implemented in these countries and within the EU's fields of competence.

The Council of Europe's recommendations on education

Following the collective complaint on the right to education in France in 2002, the Council of Europe established a group of experts – of which Autism-Europe was a member – to look into the issue of access to education for children with autism. This resulted in the Council of Europe's "''Resolution ResAP (2007)4 on the education and social inclusion of children and young people with autism''", which was adopted as a recommendation in 2009 (CM/ Rec(2009)9). While this recommendation is not binding for the members of the Council of Europe, it applies pressure to implement policies promoting access to education and the inclusion of people with autism.

2010s

European Parliament's Written Declaration on Autism

In September 2015, the

officially adopted the ''Written Declaration on Autism'', co-signed by 418 Members of the European Parliament. The document, co-drafted by Autism-Europe, calls on the

and its member states to adopt a European strategy for autism that will support accurate detection and

diagnosis Diagnosis is the identification of the nature and cause of a certain phenomenon. Diagnosis is used in many different disciplines, with variations in the use of logic, analytics, and experience, to determine " cause and effect". In systems engin ...

across Europe, promote evidence-based treatment and support services for all ages, foster research and prevalence studies, and encourage the exchange of best practices.

Activities

Autism-Europe operates as an

umbrella organisation An umbrella organization is an association of (often related, industry-specific) institutions who work together formally to coordinate activities and/or pool resources. In business, political, and other environments, it provides resources and ofte ...

, bringing together 80 member autism organisations in 34

, including 26 European Union Member States. It works at raising public awareness and influencing European decision-makers on issues relating to the rights of people with autism and other disabilities. Autism-Europe has established a structured dialogue with the European Institutions and is also active with the

World Health Organization The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. The WHO Constitution states its main objective as "the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of h ...

and the United Nations. It also participates as a non-governmental organisation in the

. Autism-Europe's main activities revolve around its advocacy work at the EU and national level, awareness-raising campaigns, and dissemination of information. Its main publication is its biannual ''LINK'' magazine, which presents news on the subject of autism and member activity. Autism-Europe also publishes research publications to support its advocacy activities, which have recently focused on education, employment and ageing. Every three years, Autism-Europe organize an international

congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of a ...

dedicated to sharing knowledge regarding advances in the field of autism.

References

{{authority control Autism-related organizations Non-profit organisations based in Belgium International medical associations of Europe