AUTISM A GLOBAL FRAMEWORK FOR ACTION

AUTISM A GLOBAL FRAMEWORK FOR ACTION

Report of the WISH Autism Forum 2016

Kerim M Munir Tara A Lavelle David T Helm Didi Thompson Jessica Prestt Muhammad Waqar Azeem

Suggested reference for this report: Munir KM, Lavelle TA,

Helm DT, Thompson D, Prestt J, Azeem MW. Autism: A Global

Framework for Action. Doha, Qatar: World Innovation Summit

for Health, 2016

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AUTISM

AUTISM A GLOBAL FRAMEWORK FOR ACTION

Report of the WISH Autism Forum 2016

01 AUTISM

CONTENTS

03 Foreword 04 Executive summary 08 Section 1: Overview of the global impact of autism spectrum disorder 17 Section 2: Goals, challenges and opportunities for action 34 Section 3: Policy recommendations 37 Appendices 45 Acknowledgments 48 References

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AUTISM

FOREWORD

While the staggering increase in the prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) over the past 30 years is cause for concern, we have made significant strides in increasing awareness of the condition and developing innovative ways to improve the lives of children, young people and adults with ASD.

In 2007, the United Nations (UN) representative from Qatar ? Her Highness Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser Al Missned, wife of His Highness Sheikh Hammad Bin Khalifa Al Thani ? successfully proposed a UN General Assembly resolution, creating World Autism Awareness Day. This day, recognized on 2 April every year, encourages all member states to take measures to raise awareness about ASD across the world.1 Further, on World Autism Awareness Day in 2016, the UN General Assembly convened an expert panel that emphasized that children and adults with ASD and other neurodevelopmental disorders have a special place at the heart of the UN Sustainable Development Agenda and in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals.2

However, our work is not done. There are still large gaps in the evidence base for effective treatment and also in the epidemiological studies investigating the causes and prevalence of the condition. We also struggle to provide families with adequate support and ensure that children with ASD have access to public education and services.

This report explores these challenges and offers three overarching policy recommendations aimed at improving support for children with ASD, their families and communities. Importantly, we acknowledge that ASD cannot be effectively addressed by the health sector alone. Successful national policies require collaboration across health, education and social sectors. Only by breaking down these barriers can we hope to succeed.

Professor the Lord Darzi of Denham, OM, KBE, PC, FRS Executive Chair, WISH, Qatar Foundation Director, Institute of Global Health Innovation, Imperial College London

Kerim M Munir, MD, MPH, DSc Director of Psychiatry, University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital Society Fellow and Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School

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