Models of the Organisation of Comprehensive Care for Children with ASD in the West

Abstract

The first Autistic societies were established in England and Denmark in 1962, followed by many other countries. Since that time there have been enormous strides in autism awareness and the development of medical, educational and social services for autistic children and their families. Current research has aimed to enhance our understanding of autism spectrum disor¬der, to inform both the practitioners and relevant governmental and non-governmental organisations about the necessity of creating comprehensive structures to support autistic individuals and their families and to contribute the ideas for the development appropriate services. As a review of all the available literature is beyond the scope of this paper, only a selec¬tion of the latest research studies relevant to the main trends in the development of the system of support is included. The article provides a brief review of the latest research in several key aspects of autism, such as: costs, prevalence, diagnosis, comorbids, etc. that can inform the policy makers, specialists and parents about what can be done to improve the lives of autistic individuals.