Autism Spectrum Disorders Among Pre-primary and Primary School Pupils in Uyo, Nigeria

Paulinus Umoren Essien

doi:10.11648/j.ajpn.20170506.11

Abstract

Autism Spectrum Disorders are a group of neuro-developmental disorders prevalent in school children. There is no known study on its prevalence among children in mainstream primary schools in our environment. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and pattern of autism spectrum disorders among children in Uyo, Nigeria. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 2,641 pupils aged 3-11 years from twelve primary schools in Uyo. The Gilliam Autism Rating Scale-second edition (GARS-2) and Gilliam Asperger’s Disorder Scale (GADS) were completed by both the class teachers and the parents. Student ‘t’ test was used to compare means and chi square to compare proportion. p-value<0.05 was considered significant. Twenty- nine had Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) giving a prevalence rate of 1.1%. Nineteen had pervasive developmental disorder, not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS), 8 had autistic disorder (AD) and 2 had Asperger’s disorder (AsD). ASD was commoner in males, young age group (3-5 years) and children of upper social class. It was concluded that ASD is prevalent among children in mainstream primary schools in Uyo, Nigeria. Appropriate healthcare policy should be put in place to cater for the special needs of these children.

Highlights

Autism Spectrum Disorders are a group of neurodevelopmental disorders prevalent in school children [1]
A significantly greater number of young pupils attended private schools while the older pupils were found in the public schools (p
This study is about the only study in Nigeria on primary school pupils, including pre-primary school pupils with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) in mainstream school

Summary

Introduction

Autism Spectrum Disorders are a group of neurodevelopmental disorders prevalent in school children [1]. The spectrum ranges from the most severe, Autistic Disorder (AD) to the less severe forms; Asperger’s Disorder (AsD) and Pervasive Developmental Disorder, Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS) [1]. Autism spectrum disorders have been accorded prominent attention in America, Europe and Asia [3], [4], [5]. The African continent, Nigeria inclusive has a dearth of data on autism spectrum disorders due to lack of epidemiological studies [6], [7], [8]. Prevalence of autism spectrum disorders vary from one geographical location to the other depending largely on study methodology [2], [3], [4], [7]. A prevalence rate of 2% was reported in United States of America while prevalence rate of 1.57% and 2.62% were reported in United Kingdom and South Korea respectively [5], [6], [7], [8], [9]

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Conclusion