Minnesota, MN – A study by the University of Minneapolis has found high levels of autism in children born into the City’s Somalian population.
The study was conducted as part of a bigger project, the Minneapolis Somali autism spectrum disorder prevalence program which was initiated to investigate why there was such a high level of ASDs within the City’s Somalian community.
In the USA one in 88 children is diagnosed with an ASD, but the study found that the rate was as high as one in 36 within the Somalian community.
The study also found that the children were less likely to be diagnosed as high functioning but offered no clues as to why.
The study echoed closely results of a Swedish study conducted last year.
Chief researchers Dr. Hewitt and Mr. Rosanoff of Minneapolis University want to look closer at a cross section of the population comparing genetic pools and IQ of Somalian children with and without ASDs.