The Socio-Demographic and Clinical Profile of Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder in a Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital in South India

Abstract

BACKGROUND Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is an neuro-developmental disorder. There is a paucity of epidemiological data on ASD in India. This study is an attempt to understand the socio demographic and clinical characteristics of the individuals with ASD. METHODS The case records were perused to extract the datas. RESULTS The study revealed that two third of individuals with ASD also have Intellectual Disability, more than half the mothers of individuals with ASD did not breastfeed beyond 12 months, about one third of individuals with ASD have not availed any kind of services. It takes arounds 6 years of age for the parents/ individuals with ASD to seek treatment help. CONCLUSION Understanding the profile is essential for better treatment planning.