Early intervention for autism is now official policy in France: on 12 February 2026, the French National Authority for Health (Haute Autorité de santé, HAS) published its recommendations “Trouble du spectre de l'autisme : interventions et parcours de vie du nourrisson, de l'enfant et de l'adolescent” (autism spectrum disorder: interventions and life pathways for infants, children and adolescents). They call for interventions to begin as soon as the first concerns arise, sometimes before 18 months, without waiting for a formal diagnosis, and for parents to be involved at every stage. Unusually, they also name the methods they reject.
This text updates the 2012 HAS-ANESM recommendations. It covers children and young people up to age 20 and is aimed at professionals in healthcare, social care and education. Here we set out what matters for parents of young children.
What the HAS published on 12 February 2026
The recommendation was approved by the HAS Board on 8 January 2026 and presented at a press conference on 12 February. It comes with a sheet of 25 key messages and a webinar for professionals held on 31 March 2026. The working group was co-chaired by Prof. Amaria Baghdadli, a child psychiatrist, and Sophie Biette, the mother of an autistic young woman. This differs from 2012, when two professionals led the work.
The document is part of a series of public policies: three autism plans from 2005 to 2017, then two national strategies for neurodevelopmental disorders, 2018–2022 and 2023–2027. Early identification was the subject of a separate recommendation in 2018, which we present in our article on identifying neurodevelopmental disorders before age 3. The 2026 text deals with what happens after identification.
Why early intervention for autism from the first signs?
Because the early years are when the brain reorganises fastest in response to experience, and because communication skills build on one another. The HAS therefore asks for interventions to start “as early as possible, from the first diagnostic concerns”, sometimes before 18 months. Waiting for the diagnosis to be confirmed before acting is described as a lost opportunity.
It is important to be measured about what this means. Early intervention improves the developmental trajectory: that is a professional consensus. It does not “cure” autism, and the size of the benefit varies greatly from one child to another. The HAS points out that the first step is still a diagnostic and functional assessment, used to build a personalised plan.
Which interventions does the HAS recommend?
So-called developmental and behavioural interventions, tailored to the child’s needs and readjusted as they grow. They cover six areas: communication, language, social skills, independence, sensory processing and motor skills. Every plan includes a communication strand, with augmentative and alternative communication where appropriate, such as pictograms, signs or digital tools.
Two principles run through the text. First, there is no single answer: the right intervention is the one that suits this child, at this moment, delivered by professionals trained in good practice. Second, assessment is ongoing: at least once a year, the effects of the interventions and how acceptable they are are reviewed with the parents, and the plan is adjusted.
The HAS stresses coordination. Professionals should work as a network around the family, and remote expert consultations and digital tools can support follow-up, with consent. For children under 7, this pathway in France goes through the coordination and referral platforms described in our article on early identification.
Parents at the heart of the text
Parent-mediated interventions, meaning those carried out day to day by the family with support from professionals, are among the most effective according to the family representatives involved in the work. The HAS asks for parents’ “lived expertise” to be recognised, for each family’s own way of functioning to be taken into account, and for support and parent coaching based on validated practices to be offered.
In practical terms, this means therapy sessions are not the only intervention: what happens between two appointments matters just as much. A parent trained to support joint attention, imitation or turn-taking extends the professionals’ work into daily life. Our articles on imitation in babies and on pointing describe two of these skills in all children.
What the HAS explicitly rejects
The text names three approaches that are not recommended: psychoanalysis, packing and neurofeedback. They are rejected either because evidence is absent or insufficient, or because they have been shown to be ineffective. The HAS justifies this unusually explicit stance by the wide variation in practices it has observed and by the need not to waste children’s time. Its president argued for some of these recommendations to become legally binding.
On medication, the HAS points out that there is no specific treatment for autism. Psychotropic drugs are not routine; any prescription must be preceded by an assessment and information for families, then regularly monitored. Associated conditions, such as epilepsy, attention disorder and sleep disorders, are covered by their own recommendations. Around 15% of autistic people have specific and constant needs, and the text addresses the prevention of behaviours that challenge.
At the presentation, the chair of the relevant committee stressed that there is no evidence of a link between autism and vaccines, taking paracetamol during pregnancy or screen exposure. These claims, repeated in some public statements, are not based on any validated data.
What to do if you have concerns about your toddler
The 2026 text does not describe warning signs, which fall under the 2018 recommendation. In a child under 2, the classic points to watch are no response to their name, no pointing, little shared gaze, no imitation and delayed language. None of these signs amounts to a diagnosis, and many children who show one of them develop without any disorder. Our article on when babies respond to their name gives the usual milestones.
The steps to take stay the same: talk to your child’s doctor, without waiting for the next appointment. In France, the doctor can refer you to the local coordination platform, which organises assessments and first interventions without waiting for a diagnosis, in line with what the 2026 recommendation asks. Psychomotor therapy, occupational therapy or psychology sessions prescribed in this context are covered by an early intervention funding package.
A child who talks late but looks at you, points, imitates and plays with others is usually just running a little behind. Our articles on language development from 0 to 3 years and on when babies play with other children help put these milestones in context.
What this text changes, and what it does not
It changes the professional benchmark: teams now have an updated framework that favours early developmental and behavioural interventions, involves parents and rules out practices that are still in use. On its own, it does not change the services available: waiting times for the platforms, regional inequalities and a shortage of trained professionals are still highlighted by the associations and professional media that commented on the publication. The HAS itself has no power to fix this.
For parents, the useful message is twofold. Concerns should be raised early, and an intervention can begin before a diagnosis. And a method that promises a lot without evidence is not a neutral option: it costs time the child does not get back.
Key takeaways
Since February 2026, the HAS has recommended early intervention when autism is suspected, from the first signs and sometimes before 18 months, without waiting for a diagnosis. Interventions are developmental and behavioural, personalised, reviewed every year with parents and coordinated as a network. Psychoanalysis, packing and neurofeedback are ruled out. No link has been established between autism and vaccines, paracetamol or screens.
A note on sources
The HAS pages could not be accessed from our editorial environment on the day this article was published. The content of the recommendation was read through three consistent professional reports, listed below. The wording in quotation marks is taken from them. The full text and the sheet of 25 key messages are available on has-sante.fr.
Sources
- Haute Autorité de santé, “Trouble du spectre de l'autisme : interventions et parcours de vie du nourrisson, de l'enfant et de l'adolescent”, good practice recommendation approved on 8 January 2026, published on 12 February 2026.
- Vidal, “Autisme : la HAS recommande des interventions développementales et comportementales précoces”, based on an APMnews dispatch of 12 February 2026, published on 16 February 2026.
- Weka, “Autisme : de nouvelles recommandations de la HAS pour le nourrisson, l'enfant et l'adolescent”, 27 February 2026.
- Caducée, “Autisme : la HAS écarte la psychanalyse et renforce le cap des interventions précoces”, February 2026.
- Ordre national des pharmaciens, “Autisme : les nouvelles recommandations pour le nourrisson, l'enfant et l'adolescent”, February 2026.
