title: Clinical characteristics of autism spectrum disorder in Israel: impact of ethnic and social diversities.
abstract: Despite the increased global prevalence and recognition of autistic spectrum disorder (ASD), it is still scarcely reported in the Arab world. Though Israel has a higher prevalence of ASD, a previous national survey of patients diagnosed between 1972 and 2004, demonstrated that 98% of them were of Jewish ancestry. The disproportional low number of Arab children with ASD in Israel is unclear but may reflect lower awareness and cultural bias. In the present study we collected clinical and demographic characteristics of 200 children with ASD from Arab and Jewish sectors in Israel that were evaluated in two child development centers. We compared the incidence and the medical comorbidity of autism between these two ethnics groups. The medical and psychiatric comorbidity profile in these children was similar to the worldwide published studies. In the present study the prevalence of autism in the Arab sector in Israel was similar to that of the Jewish sector. The Arab patients presented with more severe autistic manifestations and higher incidence of mental retardation, familial members with autism, and consanguinity (P < 0.05), while in the Jewish sector milder forms (such as Asperger syndrome and PDD-NOS) were more frequent. This discrepancy might be explained by both genetic and cultural factors.
authors.affiliation: The Child Neurology and Development Center, Hillel-Yaffe Medical Center, 38100 Hadera, Israel ; The Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion, 33705 Haifa, Israel.
authors.forename: Muhammad
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-7818-8929
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mahajnah
authors.affiliation: The Triangle Regional Research and Development Center, P.O. Box-2167, 30075 Kfar Qari', Israel ; Beit-Berl Academic College, 44905 Beit-Berl, Israel.
authors.forename: Rajech
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-0483-3443
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sharkia
authors.affiliation: The Child Neurology and Development Center, Hillel-Yaffe Medical Center, 38100 Hadera, Israel.
authors.forename: Haitham
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shalabe
authors.affiliation: The Child Neurology and Development Center, Clalit Health Services, Haifa District and Carmel Medical Center, 34362 Haifa, Israel.
authors.forename: Ruth
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Terkel-Dawer
authors.affiliation: The Child Neurology and Development Center, Hillel-Yaffe Medical Center, 38100 Hadera, Israel.
authors.forename: Ashraf
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Akawi
authors.affiliation: The Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion, 33705 Haifa, Israel ; The Child Neurology and Development Center, Clalit Health Services, Haifa District and Carmel Medical Center, 34362 Haifa, Israel.
authors.forename: Nathanel
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zelnik
mesh_terms: D000067877:Autism Spectrum Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002659:Child Development Disorders, Pervasive; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007557:Israel / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors