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The Prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorders in West Pomeranian and Pomeranian Regions of Poland

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Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities

Published online on

Abstract

Background The prevalence of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) varies worldwide from 1.4/10 000 children in the Arabian Peninsula to 185/10 000 children of Asian population. In Europe, the highest prevalence has been observed in Sweden, while the lowest in Croatia (115/10 000 and 2–3/10 000, respectively). There have been no epidemiological studies on the prevalence of ASD in Polish population. The aim of our study was to assess the prevalence of ASD in children aged 0–16 years, inhabitants of West Pomeranian and Pomeranian regions. Material and Methods In total, 2514 children (2038 males, 81.1%) were included. The estimates were based on the government registries, whereas data were obtained from Provincial Disability Services Commissions. Results The prevalence of ASD in children aged 0–16 years varies between two regions of Poland ‐ 32/10 000 in West Pomeranian and 38/10 000 in Pomeranian region. Conclusions The average prevalence of ASD was 35/10 000 children and was about 4‐fold higher in males (P < 0.05). More studies are necessary.