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Cumulative Incidence and Prevalence of Childhood Autism in Children in Japan

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

Hideo Honda ,
Yasuo Shimizu ,
Kimiko Misumi ,
Miyuki Niimi  and
Yasuo Ohashi
Hideo Honda*
Affiliation:
Medical Department, Yokohama Rehabilitation Centre
Yasuo Shimizu
Affiliation:
Medical Department, Yokohama Rehabilitation Centre
Kimiko Misumi
Affiliation:
Medical Department, Yokohama Rehabilitation Centre
Miyuki Niimi
Affiliation:
Department of Epidemiology and Medical Information Science, Graduate School of Medical Science, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
Yasuo Ohashi
Affiliation:
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Health Sciences and Nursing, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
*
Dr Hideo Honda, Medical Department, Yokohama Rehabilitation Centre, 1770 Toriyama-cho, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama 222, Japan
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Abstract

Background

An epidemiological survey of childhood autism as defined in ICD–10 Research Criteria was conducted in the northern part of Yokohama, Japan.

Method

The routine health checkup for 18-month-old children served as the initial mass-screening, and all facilities which provide child care services function to detect all cases with childhood autism and refer them to the Yokohama Rehabilitation Centre. Cumulative incidence of childhood autism up to 5 years of age among the birth cohort of 1988, and prevalence on 1 January 1994, among residents born in 1988 were estimated.

Results

Cumulative incidence and prevalence were 16.2 per 10 000 and 21.1 per 10 000, respectively. Children with high-functioning autism who had IQs of 70 and over constituted approximately half of all the children with childhood autism.

Conclusion

It was confirmed through better detection of high-functioning cases that childhood autism in Japan is more common than formerly estimated.

Information

Type
Papers
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 169 , Issue 2 , August 1996 , pp. 228 - 235
Copyright
Copyright © 1996 The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

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