Prevalence and Characteristics of Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Retrospective Analysis of Hospital-Based Patient Cohort

Abstract

Introduction: Autism spectrum disorders are marked by socialising and communication barriers as well as repeatable, restricted, and stigmatised behavioural patterns

Objectives: This paper describes a retrospective case series study of developmental disability cases to assess autism in patients of various ages

Methods: The patients’ age, sex, type, location of residence, severity of condition, and year of birth were recorded. Moreover, the time and mode of onset and clinical feature category were analysed and statistically assessed for several clinical factors.

Results: Initial symptoms appeared in 43.7% of the children aged one to five years and 41.6% of the children aged six to ten years. Moreover, the varying autism challenges faced by individuals of various ages were investigated. The youngest patient was a one-year-old toddler, while the oldest was a 20-year-old man. It was found that teenagers and young adults were diagnosed at a considerably earlier age than younger children. The greatest apparent variation in the diagnosis stage by patient age was seen in adolescents with PDD-NOS, followed by those with autism and Asperger’s syndrome. Currently, the treatment patterns and interventions for patients with autism are aimed at reducing symptoms that interfere with their daily functioning and quality of life. Consequently, therapeutic approaches invariably encompass several practitioners and are customised to an individual. The patients in the study were administered a variety of rehabilitation therapies based on the degree of their disorder, along with atypical antipsychotics such as Atomoxetine (Strattera), Methylphenidate (Concerta), and Risperidone to manage the severity of the disorders.

Conclusions: The above survey results facilitate a slightly earlier diagnosis of this developmental disorder, which will also be valuable to prescribers. The primary limitations of this study are a lack of statistics describing the prevalence of autism spectrum disorders and their therapeutic interventions in Saudi Arabia, as well as a lack of previous research on the research topic in Saudi Arabia.