Early intervention for autism

Legal status: 08.10.2026 (federal law, checked against the statutory text). How early intervention is organised and billed locally is regulated by the federal states in framework agreements. The versions in force at the time of your application are decisive.

What early intervention is under the law

The Ninth Book of the Social Code (SGB IX) regulates “early detection and early intervention” in section 46. The services are meant to help recognise an impending or existing disability at the earliest possible point and to draw up an individual treatment plan. They are also meant to compensate for or mitigate an existing disability through targeted support and treatment measures. ^[1] These include:

• medical services of services and facilities working across disciplines,
• non-medical services: social paediatric, psychological, curative education, psychosocial and special-needs education services, non-medical therapy and advice for legal guardians. ^[1]

The services are provided in combination with curative education services as a complex service. The measures can take place at the same time or one after another and with varying, where appropriate changing, intensity from birth until school entry. ^[1] Curative education services are services for children not yet in school; they cover all measures that contribute to the child’s development and the unfolding of their personality. ^[2]

Where early intervention takes place

Under the law, the non-medical services are provided by interdisciplinary early intervention centres or facilities with a comparable range that are approved under state law. The law also names social paediatric centres. ^[1] Which requirements these services must meet (professional groups, staff, equipment), where the service is provided and how fees are agreed and billed is regulated by state framework agreements between the rehabilitation providers and the associations of service providers. The rehabilitation providers also agree how they split the fees among themselves. ^[1] For you this means: services and procedures differ by federal state.

What this has to do with autism

The law speaks of children with disabilities and of children at risk of a disability. It names no individual diagnosis. Whether and to what extent a child with autism or with suspected autism receives early intervention depends on whether the requirements are met in the individual case; an early intervention centre or a social paediatric centre can assess that. How the assessment works is described in the article How an autism assessment works.

What the 2021 guideline said about an early start

For toddlers and preschool children, regardless of developmental age and cognitive skills, the German S3 guideline on therapy stated:

• For toddlers and preschool children, autism-specific therapy should be carried out even when autism is only suspected. After 12 months at the latest, the diagnosis should be checked again before therapy is continued (consensus-based recommendation, strong consensus). ^{[3, Rec. 9]}
• Therapy should start early, at the latest from the age of 2 years or directly after the diagnosis (evidence level 2, grade of recommendation A). It should be individualised, development-oriented and behavioural-therapy-based and include guidance for parents or primary caregivers. ^{[3, Rec. 10]}
• Educators in nursery and integration assistants should additionally be guided in supportive interaction with the child. ^{[3, Rec. 10]}

The details on duration, scope, contents and on methods that were not recommended for this goal are in the article Autism-specific therapy and support. The guideline expired on 23.03.2026. ^[4]

What you should know

• Suspicion is enough. Neither the law nor the 2021 guideline requires the diagnosis to be established before support starts: the law speaks of an impending disability ^[1], the guideline of therapy when autism is suspected. ^{[3, Rec. 9]}
• You are involved. Advice for legal guardians is among the services. ^[1] The guideline recommended guiding the parents and at the same time pointed out that parental strain should be taken into account in planning. ^{[3, Rec. 10]}
• Ask locally. Early intervention centres, social paediatric centres and advice services can tell you which services exist in your federal state. An overview of who is responsible for what is given in the article Understanding the support system.
• Costs and applications depend on the responsible provider: see the articles Financing autism therapy and Applying and filing an objection.

Sources and literature

1. § 46 SGB IX – Früherkennung und Frühförderung. Sozialgesetzbuch Neuntes Buch (www.gesetze-im-internet.de/sgb_9_2018/__46.html). – Statute (German federal law, in German)
2. § 79 SGB IX – Heilpädagogische Leistungen. Sozialgesetzbuch Neuntes Buch (www.gesetze-im-internet.de/sgb_9_2018/__79.html). – Statute (German federal law, in German)
3. DGKJP, DGPPN et al. Autismus-Spektrum-Störungen im Kindes-, Jugend- und Erwachsenenalter. Teil 2: Therapie. S3-Leitlinie, AWMF-Reg.-Nr. 028-047, Stand Text 02.05.2021 (Empf. 9, 10). – Guideline (in German); expired on 23 March 2026 (see no. 4)
4. DGKJP. Aktuelle Leitlinien (Eintrag 028-047: „Gültig bis 23.03.2026“). https://www.dgkjp.de/wissen/aktuelle-leitlinien/ – Professional society (website in German)