Autism: from diagnosis to treatment, France is still lagging behind

"There are about as many autisms as there are autists."

Florent Chapel is co-president of the Autism Info Service association, a platform that helps parents of children with this disorder, "often overwhelmed with false information".

He is himself the father of a 14-year-old teenager, diagnosed with autism at the age of three.

Florent Chapel was Friday the guest of

on Europe 1 to take stock of the progress and delays in the management of autism.

>> Special autism evening on France 2

From 9 p.m. this Monday evening, France 2 broadcasts a special autism evening, in partnership with Europe 1. After the TV movie 

, with Samuel Le Bihan, Julian Bugier will host a debate on the theme " Living with an autistic child ".

Diagnoses still too late

"France is not at the point, but it is progressing. The government took the measure of the damage 10 years ago," admits Florent Chapel.

At the time, most children with autism were diagnosed around 6 or 7 years old, compared to 3 to 4 years old today.

This advance is fundamental, explains Florent Chapel.

"At 6 years old, a child has already developed a lot. The younger he is taken into care, the better and the faster he can be taught language again. If you don't help him, he might not speak at all."

The diagnosis of autism is not made with an X-ray or with a blood test.

To recognize it, you have to watch for a number of signs.

In a baby already, several types of behavior can alert parents: staring, lack of answers or reactions.

"These children are not sick, they are different", specifies Florent Chapel.

Autism results in a triad of disorders: language, socialization and behavior.

Depending on their intensities, the child may be placed on the broad "spectrum of autism".

Important and costly support

Living with severe autism, rated at 58 on a scale of 1 to 60, Florent Chapel's son did not utter a single word until he was five years old.

Using communication and learning systems, her parents went looking "one syllable at a time".

Now their son talks, goes to school, plays tennis.

"I was told he would end up in an institution. Today, fortunately, he is at home."

>> Find all of Sans rendez-vous in replay and podcast here

Such support obviously has a cost.

"If you have a chronic disease, your drugs are reimbursed. The remainder sometimes exists but it is modest. For an autistic child, the support costs 4000 to 5000 euros per month. The State gives us 600."

To cover this cost, Florent Chapel had to sell his house.

"A great scandal" according to him, for a disturbance which concerns 700,000 families in France.