Association for Behavior Analysis International

France has been condemned for discrimination against people with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) by the Council of Europe. Indeed, in 2014, the Council of Europe concluded that the rights of people with ASD were violated with regards to their right to education. The aim of this symposium is to try to apprehend why France seems to lag behind the rest of Europe with regards to autism. We will start by studying the legal and political evolution with regards to autism, then we will focus on the qualitative and quantitative means made available to individuals with autistic disorders in France, focusing more particularly on the daily difficulties encountered by an experimental ABA based center. Finally, we will explore the challenges related to the dissemination of the principles of behavior analysis in France by exploring the issue of postsecondary training and education provided to the future practitioners and the language barrier from English to French.

France is readily lacking training in ABA. There is only one University providing an ABA master degree and implementing research in EAB and ABA and on average 15 students graduate every year. The aim of this program is to train students to implement ABA treatments according to the BCBA's certification. But, the lack of current training options in France is also problematic for practitioners. Postsecondary training and education provided to the future practitioners rarely mention behavioral techniques. The few French centers providing ABA treatments for ASD children thus have to train their own staff. The language barrier is also an issue. The existing materials and literature used in ABA treatments have yet to be translated to French for it to be more accessible. For example, the French version of the ABLLS has been published a few years ago. The BACB, which contributes to disseminating professional standards mainly through its professional certification programs is also working on this language issue. Indeed, the BCBA & BCaBA examinations are to be translated and the French version is scheduled for 2018. These translations should make it easier for more and more French people to be able to implement and also supervise effective ABA treatments.

French government agreed to the opening of a center in the North of France in 2008. In this center, 20 children with ASD, age 0-20 years old, received ABA treatments 36hrs per week in mean and behavioral intervention is provided for free. Behavioral intervention is implemented in all of children's life settings (home, schools, daily care ). This center is experimental and has for main goal to prove effectiveness of ABA treatments. It was crucial step for France because at that time ABA was not recognized as being profitable for children with ASD. Since the opening of this center four children have completed their treatments and some are engaged into professional skills training. French ministry of Health has recommended in March 2012 the implementation of ABA treatments for children with ASD. But people still think that these children need multidisciplinary treatments (eclectic interventions) and ABA still remains perceived as a higher cost treatment (humanly and financially speaking). Furthermore, France is nowadays tremendously lacking formation in ABA. So, difficulties are daily encountered in the center in finding trained staff, organizing a training system for the staff, the parents and the partners in schools.

Albeit, the tremendous expansion in research on ASD during the last decades, the fact that numerous theoretical frameworks are actively looking for the etiology of autistic disorders, the emergence of various treatment packages, the countless governmental reports and guidelines and the millions spent on ASD, a great majority of individuals with ASD are still either suffering from strong autistic disorders and are in inmate facilities or have mild autistic disorders and are struggling with mostly unmet needs for education, employment, housing services and support. This paper aims at investigating and better understanding the current treatment of autistic disorders in France. We will start by studying the legal and political evolution with regards to autism, then we will focus on the qualitative and quantitative means made available to individuals with autistic disorders in France. Finally, we will explore the cost incurred by the government and families of individuals with autistic disorders.