DISTRIBUTION OF AUTISTIC CHILDREN IN PONTIANAK, WEST KALIMANTAN PROVINCE, INDONESIA

The prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) data is still limited, especially in developing countries. Meanwhile, an increase in ASD children has occurred almost all over the world, including in Indonesia. The Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia reported more than 5,500 cases of child development disorders – including autism disorders – that received services at primary health centres during 2020 – 2021. Data on the prevalence of autistic disorders have been estimated to increase by 500 per year. The Disability and Assessment Centre Service in Pontianak records an increase in children with autistic disorders every year. This study aims to map the spread of autism in Pontianak. This is an observational study to map the distribution of ASD children in Pontianak. The data sources are medical records from Pontianak Psychiatry Hospital and registration at Disability and Assessment Centre Services, recorded from 2015 to 2020. This study collected 147 cases of autism recorded at both service units. After screening for data duplication, 143 cases were used. Only 83 cases had a complete address that can determine coordinates. Using the determination of coordinates based on addresses obtained using GPS and spatial analysis using ArcGIS, the results showed that the distribution pattern of ASD children in Pontianak City was clustered. Most ASD children live in densely populated areas. Urban environments with high population density have problems that can affect the health of their residents. Further research is needed to determine the relationship between environmental factors and the incidence of autism in Pontianak.