The rising prevalence of autism: a prospective longitudinal study in the Faroe Islands

J Autism Dev Disord. 2012 Sep;42(9):1959-66. doi: 10.1007/s10803-012-1444-9.

Abstract

We have followed up a 2002 population study of autism prevalence in 15-24-year olds in the Faroe Islands. The rate of ASD grew significantly from 0.56% in 2002 to 0.94% in 2009. Although these results are within the range of typical findings from other studies, there were some interesting details. There were-in addition to 43 originally diagnosed cases in 2002-24 newly discovered cases in 2009 and nearly half of them were females. It is possible that unfamiliarity with the clinical presentation of autism in females have played a significant role in this context. There was diagnostic stability for the overall category of ASD over time in the group diagnosed in childhood (7-16) years, but considerable variability as regards diagnostic sub-groupings.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Autistic Disorder / diagnosis
  • Autistic Disorder / epidemiology*
  • Child
  • Denmark / epidemiology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Incidence
  • Longitudinal Studies
  • Male
  • Neuropsychological Tests
  • Prevalence
  • Prospective Studies
  • Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
  • Young Adult