Psychologist Nathalie Fontana presents specific demands to Luxembourg’s Ministry of Education and government to improve support for autistic people. She identifies four key areas requiring urgent action: therapy access, diagnostics, financial support, and interdisciplinary collaboration.
To improve care for autistic children and support for families, a number of priority measures could be put in place:
1. Providing access to healthcare: an absolute emergency
- Increase the number of trained professionals: Develop specific training programmes for mental health professionals to meet the growing needs related to autism.
- Recognise professionals who have already received training: Allow care to be paid for free or reimbursed by the CNS where possible. For example, although I am a psychologist and hold the title of psychotherapist in France, my training in autism is not recognised by the Ministry of Education, which means that families are not reimbursed for my consultations.
- Facilitate communication between professionals: Organise specific events on autism at least every two years, in order to strengthen cooperation and the exchange of knowledge between players in the field.
- Offer practical training in universities: Create short, practical and accessible modules to encourage more professionals to train in supporting people with autism.
- Integrating new technologies: Encouraging the development of robots and artificial intelligence to support autistic people, particularly in the areas of communication and learning.
2. Improving diagnosis and resources
- Create a centralised resource centre: Reduce diagnosis times, which are currently too long in Luxembourg. This centre could also provide specialised support for families from the moment the diagnosis is announced.
- Strengthen existing associations: Provide financial and logistical support to associations so that they can play a key role in supporting families and professionals.
- Setting up a parental guidance centre: Offering a place where parents can receive training, advice and support to help them better understand and respond to their child’s specific needs.
3. Financial support for families
- Helping to fund therapies and care: Families often have to pay out of pocket for necessary interventions, which represents a significant financial burden.
- Supporting home adaptations and adaptations: Offer specific assistance to finance adapted work or equipment (for example, sensory spaces or visual communication tools).
4. Encouraging interdisciplinary cooperation
- Encouraging exchanges between centres of expertise: In autism, many associated conditions may be present (neurovisual difficulties, hearing difficulties, high potential, etc.). It is often necessary to work as part of a multidisciplinary team to provide the best possible support for the child. Today, this coordination is still insufficient in Luxembourg.
These recommendations aim to build a more accessible, effective and equitable care system for autistic people and their families, while promoting trained professionals and local initiatives.