The prevalence of autism in Europe will be identified for the first time in a research project announced yesterday.
Autism specialists from across Europe came to Dublin yesterday to begin work on the 2½-year project, which was initiated by MEP Kathy Sinnott and funded by the EU.
She said an autism epidemic had been declared in the US by President Bush and it was feared the EU survey could discover a similar epidemic here.
"There have been no reliable or consistent figures available to determine the prevalence of autism in Europe, despite growing fears that it is on the increase," she said.
Some US research had found that levels had risen from four cases in every 10,000 children to 30 to 60 cases.
Ms Sinnott said some studies in Ireland had found that one in 100 to one in 150 children had the condition. An Oregon study found that one in 35 children had full-blown autism. These were worrying statistics, Ms Sinnott said.
"But we are not even at that stage because we have not counted it. Until we understand what we are dealing with, we will never come up with the answers in treating autism," she said.
Medical research has shown that the earlier autism is identified and treated, the more successful the outcome. Ms Sinnott's son Jamie has the condition and she fought for 20 years to secure appropriate services and education for him.
Ten years ago she set up the Hope Project to help people with a disability and their families.
This new project was "a giant step forward" in discovering the prevalence of the condition and it would force national governments to do something about it, she said. Early diagnosis meant that a two- or three-year-old child could be put in an intensive and structured educational programme to learn and develop new skills.
Ms Sinnott said that when she challenged the European Commission on the lack of co-ordination of autism data in the EU, "they said no one has ever mentioned it before".
The new study will highlight successful ways of diagnosing young children and improving accessibility to appropriate treatment. It will also bring key specialists together in a forum to share their expertise.
Ms Sinnott said that early investment in treatment would ease the cost of caring for affected children in the long run.
The final results of the European Autism Information System study will be available in mid-2008, but preliminary results will become available sooner.
Ivan Perry, professor of epidemiology and public health at UCC, will lead the Irish research.
