The country's fledgling autism organisations are short of professional staff and government support, a survey released yesterday shows.

More than half of the autism organisations, or rehabilitation centres, covered in the survey in South China were founded by parents of autistic children, and they raised 75 per cent of their initial funding on their own, according to the Shenzhen Autism Society and One Foundation charity, which co-organised the survey.

About 91 per cent of the operating costs of these groups are paid by the families of autism sufferers, the report said.

The report is part of a larger national report to be released on April 2, which is 5th World Autism Awareness Day.

The national report, the first of its kind in China, is based on 2,092 questionnaires completed by 56 autism organisations, 988 parents of autistic patients, 510 employees of autism organisations and 538 community organisers. Two-thirds of the questionnaires were submitted from South China.

Liao Yanhui, the secretary-general of the Shenzhen Autism Society, said: "Autism treatment in China faces many difficulties, but there is no statistical support in this field. So we started systematic research in 2009 with financial support from One Foundation."

She said the survey found that many autism organisations lack government support, professional teachers and therapists. The groups have called for increasing social awareness and support.

The survey also found there is a huge imbalance in resources. Some organisations have more than 100 teachers, while some have only three staff.

Most teachers in such organisations have less than five years of experience in this sector. Many of them do not hold a bachelor's or higher degree in special education.

They have meagre incomes as well - between 2,000 yuan (US$320) and 3,000 yuan a month - with few training opportunities or chances for promotion. Many autism organisations have high staff turnover, according to the report.

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Autism groups in China lack support