The pragmatic approach we adopted as our organizational strategy is to align and enhance existing networks and bring leading "hubs" together with linked satellites across the EU. The overall objective is to strengthen coherence and synergies. This will allow us to cost-effectively include individuals and organizations from diverse geographic and cultural backgrounds across Europe. For example we incorporate the patient organization Autism Europe, the COST network in early autism science (40 scientists from over 20 countries (http://www.cost.esf.org/domains_actions/bmbs/Actions/essea)), BASIS (the leading European infant at-risk autism study), and the ECNP paediatric psychopharmacology network (www.ecnp.eu Co-chair Prof. Buitelaar (RUNMC)). Importantly also we link to other international efforts through our partner ASP.