MEP says there is no single way to treat Autism

MEP Miriam Dalli said that policy makers should make room for choice and trial-and-error processes, which many parents believe to be essential to find the right Autism treatment that works for their child.

"It is extremely important to give parents the possibility to choose between different types of therapy options. We need to provide parents and children the opportunity to explore new innovative therapies that could be tremendously fulfilling and beneficial for them," she said speaking at a European conference about Autism.

Dalli co-chaired the conference together with MEP Nicola Caputa and MEP Marek Plura who together worked hard to make sure the written declaration on Autism garners the required support.

According to a statement by Dalli, the written declaration, penned together with Autism Europe (Europe's leading advocacy association on Autism), calls on the European Council and the European Commission to adopt a strategic European approach to respond to the challenges faced by people with autism throughout their lives.

“The declaration was adopted by the European Parliament in July after it gathered the support of more than half of the 751 Members of the European Parliament,” the statement adds.

The conference, held as a follow up to the written declaration, was aimed at formulating a European strategy for autism in Europe and it gathered together key European stakeholders who work directly on Autism.

As one of the originators of the declaration, Dalli stated that accurate and early diagnosis is beneficial for people with autism, and it helps towards providing adequate support and education, however lacking it was around Europe.

"We need to start addressing the stigma, particularly since it can keep parents from acknowledging the symptoms and checking for any signs of the Autism spectrum disorder” Dalli said.

Dalli added that more often than not, inadequate policy making on Autism, is a result of a lack of understanding of what autism actually is.

"We need to have frank discussions with all key stakeholders to evaluate properly what works and what does not,” Dalli said, adding that when drafting policies, we should keep in mind that children need to enjoy their childhood with other children and adults need to live an independent life.

Dalli said that a European Union of 28 Member States should give priority to sharing of best practice for the benefit of all people with Autism and give due importance to research.