Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Prevalence in Somali and Non-Somali Children.
Somali children in Minneapolis are identified with autism at the same rate as White peers, but they more often have intellectual disability too.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Health staff in Minneapolis checked school and clinic records. They counted how many Somali and non-Somali children had an autism label.
They also noted which children had intellectual disability along with autism.
What they found
About three in every 100 Somali children had autism. White children had the same rate.
Black and Hispanic children had lower rates.
Somali children with autism were more likely to also have intellectual disability.
How this fits with other research
Dudley et al. (2019) asked Somali parents in the UK what autism means to them. Parents often used the word for any odd behavior. Their view helps explain why Somali families may seek help later.
Bhasin et al. (2007) looked at an earlier US city sample. They also split autism cases into those with and without intellectual disability. Hewitt et al. (2016) kept that split but added the Somali angle.
Safer-Lichtenstein et al. (2021) found that politics and race change how often schools give an autism label. Their work warns us: higher numbers can reflect better finding, not more cases.
Why it matters
When you assess a Somali child, check if the family understands the word autism. Explain the difference between autism alone and autism plus intellectual disability. This small step can speed up the right services and reduce stigma.
Want CEUs on This Topic?
The ABA Clubhouse has 60+ free CEUs — live every Wednesday. Ethics, supervision & clinical topics.
Join Free →Ask the parent, in plain language, what autism means to them before you start testing.
02At a glance
03Original abstract
The current study presents results from an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) public health surveillance project conducted in Minneapolis. The study was designed to compare ASD prevalence in Somali children (ages 7-9) to that of non-Somali children. The study adapted methodology used by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network. Results indicated that Somali (1 in 32) and White (1 in 36) children were about equally likely to be identified with ASD, but more likely to be identified with ASD than Black and Hispanic children. Somali children with ASD were significantly more likely to have an intellectual disability than children with ASD in all other racial and ethnic groups.
Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 2016 · doi:10.1007/s10803-016-2793-6