Prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorders in Ecuador: A Pilot Study in Quito.

Researchers counted every pupil in Quito’s regular schools. They asked teachers and parents if a doctor had ever said the child has autism.

The team looked at 51,453 children. They also flagged kids who showed signs but had no diagnosis.

Only 1 in every 900 pupils had an autism diagnosis on record. Another 1 in 500 were suspected but not labeled.

In plain numbers, 0.11% were diagnosed and 0.21% were suspected. Regular schools in Ecuador’s capital serve almost no autistic children.

The tiny Quito count lines up with Rudra et al. (2017) in Kolkata schools, where 0.23% had a label. Both cities show the same pattern: low-income schools miss most cases.

Fombonne et al. (2016) found 0.87% in León, Mexico, and Wong et al. (2025) found 2.57% in Hong Kong. Higher numbers come from door-to-door screening, not school rosters. The gap is method, not truth.

May et al. (2020) show the trend: Australian parent reports hit 4.36% in 2020. As countries add screening, counts rise. Ecuador is still at the starting line.

If you work in Ecuador, assume most autistic pupils are out of sight. Push for district-wide screening and teacher training. A quick tool like the Brief Observation of Symptoms of Autism, validated by Granana et al. (2025) for Latin America, can help you spot kids who need referral. Low numbers on paper do not mean low numbers in real life.