Clinical Pattern of Autism in Nigeria

Autism, a global disorder has been widely studied in the Western world. However, there are limited studies on its occurrence, risk factors, and presentation in developing countries such as Nigeria. This retrospective study highlights the pattern of presentation of autism and presence of some risk factors in 75 Nigerian cases referred to a private autism center. The diagnosis of autism was made using Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition (DSM IV), International Classification of Diseases Fourth edition, the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers, Autism Treatment Evaluation Checklist, and Childhood Autism Rating Scale. There were 60 males and 15 females with a male to female ratio of 4:1. The mean age at presentation to the center was 6.87 ± 4.20 years and majority (91.9%) belonged to a high socioeconomic class. Already established risk factors, clinical features, and comorbidities of autism present among the study group were similar to findings in individuals with autism in other parts of the world. Autism Res 2016, 9: 376–381. © 2015 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.