In The Politics of Autism, I discuss international perspectives.
In the past, France was a laggard in autism services, in part as a result of the malign influence of psychoanalysis.
There are signs of progress.
Earlier this year the French government launched an autism awareness campaign on TV and in cinemas to help people “better understand” the condition.
It featured celebrities who have been directly affected by autism, whether as the parents of autistic children, such as comedian Élie Semoun, actor Francis Perrin and screenwriter Minh Tran Huy, those who have siblings with it, or those who have been diagnosed themselves.
"There are 700,000 autistic people in France," said Fadila Khattabi, Secretary of State in charge of People with Disabilities and who introduced the campaign in April.
"We want to help society better understand how these people evolve, and how their exclusion is unjustified. Disabled people are fellow citizens in their own right... and not apart."
The short clips focused especially on the communication difficulties of autistic people and their sensory hypersensitivity.
Read more: 'Being neurodivergent is challenging in Paris'
