Prevalence and clinical characteristics of autism spectrum disorders in school-age children in Taif- KSA

Abstract

Background: There has been a reported worldwide increase in the apparent prevalence of autism and related autism spectrum disorders, Such an increase, whether due to an actual increase in incidence of autism or better detection methods. Aims & Objective: To determine the prevalence and describe the clinical characteristics of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) in school-age children. Material and Methods: The study proceeded in four steps: screening, sampling, and diagnostic assessment. All parents and teachers asked to complete the ASSQ. Children from regular schools were considered screen positive if they had a teacher-rated ASSQ score ≥10. Results: The result of the current study have shown that the overall prevalence of autism in the primary school of Taif district whose age ranged from 7 to 12 years was 0.035 % from a sample population of 22950 student , the prevalence of autism in male (0.031%) was greater than female (0.004%). The general characteristic of autistic disorders present in the sample population was concentrated on certain items mainly, Has a different style to communicate with others, either formally or informally (80 %), Deal with others with his own style (80%). Conclusion: The overall prevalence of autism in the primary school of Taif district whose age ranged from 7 to 12 years was 0.035 %.