China is in dire need of professionals to diagnose and train an increasing number of autistic children, experts said.

"Autistic children who receive early treatment tend to relate better to others and assimilate well with society. However, due to a lack of professionals, many children miss the best time for treatment and lose their chances of recovery forever," said Zhang Haidi, chairwoman of the China Disabled Persons' Federation.

The government must increase funding and policy support for autism service organizations, train more professionals and grasp the best treatment period for autistic children, she said.