Is Autism Less Common Among Some Ethnic Groups?
05November

Is Autism Less Common Among Some Ethnic Groups?

Posted on , in Section Embracing Our Uniqueness

A new study suggests that certain ethnic groups may have dramatically lower rates of autism among their children. This study was conducted by a team of researchers operating out of Israel, and their findings have the potential to change the way we think about autism. With rates of autism rising at astronomical rates in many parts of the world, we can only hope that more of these groundbreaking studies are able to deduce the cause of this condition and help us come up with a cure.

What Did They Discover?

The scientists conducting the study focused on several different ethnic groups within israel and found that the Orthodox and Arabic communities had rates of autism that were only about a third of the mainstream population. Because these groups all lived in the same areas it was possible to rule out environmental factors, making these findings incredibly interesting. Ultimately, the study came to the conclusion that the likely reason for these differing rates was the average age of the mother when giving birth. In both the Orthodox and Arab communities, mothers were giving birth at a much younger age. Moving forward, this research suggests that parents might have to rethink the potential risks of having children later in life.

Moving Forward With Autism Research

While these new findings are certainly interesting, there is still a great deal of work to do investigating the causes of autism. We are still very far from fully understanding the fundamental reasons behind the development of autism. Furthermore, a great deal more research needs to be done into potential preventative measures parents could take to avoid their children having autism and into the treatment of those who have autism.

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