Prevalence of autism in Iceland

• Main Authors: Magnusson, P, Saemundsen, E
• Other Authors: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, National University Hospital, Reykjavik, Iceland. [e-mail]
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers 2008
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Age Distribution; Autistic Disorder; Child; Preschool; Cohort Studies; Female; Humans; Iceland; Male; Mental Retardation; Population Surveillance; Prevalence; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; Sex Distribution
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2336/33032; https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1010795014548

To access publisher full text version of this article. Please click on the hyperlink in Additional Links field This clinic-based study estimated the prevalence of autism in Iceland in two consecutive birth cohorts, subjects born in 1974-1983 and in 1984-1993. In the older cohort classification was based on the ICD-9 in 72% of cases while in the younger cohort 89% of cases were classified according to the ICD-10. Estimated prevalence rates for Infantile autism/Childhood autism were 3.8 per 10,000 in the older cohort and 8.6 per 10,000 in the younger cohort. The characteristics of the autistic groups are presented in terms of level of intelligence, male:female ratio, and age at diagnosis. For the younger cohort scores on the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised and the Childhood Autism Rating Scale are reported as well. Results are compared with a previous Icelandic study and recent population-based studies in other countries based on the ICD-10 classification system. Methodological issues are discussed as well as implications for future research and service delivery.