Prevalence of autism spectrum disorder and autistic symptoms in a school-based cohort of children in Kolkata, India.
Alokananda Rudra, Matthew K Belmonte, Parmeet Kaur Soni and 3 others
PMID 28544637WHAT IT FOUND
In Kolkata, 0.23% of school children met criteria for broader autism spectrum.
This is likely a lower bound, as children outside the school system were missed. Parents over-reported symptoms compared to teachers, highlighting the need for multi-informant screening.
Key findings
01The weighted prevalence estimate for children meeting criteria for broader autism spectrum was 0.23%.
02Parents reported significantly higher autism-related trait scores than teachers, indicating over-endorsement by parents.
03The study design likely underestimated true prevalence because children not enrolled in school were not included.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study was school-based, so it missed children not enrolled in school, who may have higher rates of autism or other disabilities. There was a lack of access to disability registers or special schools, limiting the ability to identify lower-functioning children. Parent participation was lower in low-SES groups, potentially under-representing these populations. Illiterate parents in low-SES groups completed questionnaires in small groups, which may have biased responses. The study did not have prior medical information to test for false-negative rates.
Declared interests
The authors declare no specific conflicts of interest in the provided text, but note the study was limited by available resources.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the 0.23% prevalence as the true rate of autism in the general population. This estimate only covers children in school and is explicitly described as a lower bound because it excludes children outside the school system, who may have higher rates of disability.