Comments on: Questions Loom Over Prevalence Of Autism Among Somali Immigrants http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2009/03/17/somali-autism/2564/ Developmental Disability News Sat, 11 Feb 2012 00:55:30 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: aspieadvocate http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2009/03/17/somali-autism/2564/comment-page-1/#comment-157 aspieadvocate Tue, 17 Mar 2009 20:33:28 +0000 http://www.disabilityscoop.com/?p=2564#comment-157 As an adult with Asperger's Syndrome and the parent of a severely language-delayed autistic child,I found the whole NY times article disconcerting, not so much because of its alarmist tone about autism, but because the researchers here seem to be missing a key point. Wouldn't a full genetic analysis be the obvious first step here? The only such research mentioned was the March of Dimes study of birth defects, which did not specifically address autism. If, as the author of the article points out, there is a high rate of close intermarriage in Somalia, and if the migration pattern matches that of many immigrant groups with essentially whole families and villages ending up in the same part of the United States, then shouldn't somebody be looking further into a genetic common denominator? I'm just sayin'... Carol Greenburg Executive Director Brooklyn Special Needs Consulting As an adult with Asperger’s Syndrome and the parent of a severely language-delayed autistic child,I found the whole NY times article disconcerting, not so much because of its alarmist tone about autism, but because the researchers here seem to be missing a key point.

Wouldn’t a full genetic analysis be the obvious first step here? The only such research mentioned was the March of Dimes study of birth defects, which did not specifically address autism. If, as the author of the article points out, there is a high rate of close intermarriage in Somalia, and if the migration pattern matches that of many immigrant groups with essentially whole families and villages ending up in the same part of the United States, then shouldn’t somebody be looking further into a genetic common denominator?

I’m just sayin’…

Carol Greenburg
Executive Director
Brooklyn Special Needs Consulting

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