Autism Spectrum Disorders in an Upper-Middle Income Country

In México, the prevalence of autism has been poorly studied, until [1], reported a prevalence rate of 0.89% (95% CI, 0.62-1.1%) for León, Guanajuato; in the same study, 70% of parents of children with ASD had concerns about their atypical development between 18 and 36 months of age, almost half of them had a first contact with health services at 24 to 36 months, but a formal diagnosis was reached between 36-60 months of age, or after, in 80% of the families. These data are consistent with a retrospective study (N=323) from a Mexican neurological center showing that the mean age of detection was 4 years old and the primary cause of parental concern was language delay or regression in 60% of the children [2].