Author(s)

Zakaria Ahmed Mohamed¹, Erick Thokerunga², Chunjiao Tang¹, Ali Omar Jimale¹, Jingyi Fan^1*

¹Department of Pediatrics, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.
²Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Center for Gene Diagnosis, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.

Despite the dramatic increase in autism spectrum disorders (ASD) globally, no research has been conducted in Somalia regarding ASD. However, research studies from Somali immigrants (diaspora) living in Sweden, the US, the UK, etc., have been major contributors to the subject of ASD among people of Somali descent. In this review, we aimed to examine ASD among the Somali diaspora community in terms of its prevalence, possible causes, knowledge of the diseases among the diaspora community, and the challenges faced in raising ASD-affected children in a foreign country. These findings create a general picture of the magnitude of the burden of ASD diagnosis and management and the coping mechanisms adopted by the Somali diaspora community, which are vital lessons for policymakers, child health non-governmental organizations, and the professional medical bodies aiming to tackle ASD back home in Somalia. The study found that ASD is three to five times more prevalent among children of Somali descent than their peers from other backgrounds and that Somali children were generally diagnosed much later than their peers and often presented with lower intellectual abilities than their peers. Furthermore, Somali immigrants were found to have low levels of knowledge about autism, faced stigma and discrimination and often resorted to religion and a small tight circle of friends and family for social support. They faced a huge challenge of seeking access to healthcare and schools for their autistic children and have a mistrust of social services for fear of the government taking away their children. These findings raise the possibility that neglected ASD cases may be prevalent in Somalia and thus makes recommendations for future research, social policy development, and early intervention services for individuals with autism in Somalia.

Autism, ASD, Somali, Immigrants, Diaspora

Mohamed, Z. , Thokerunga, E. , Tang, C. , Jimale, A. and Fan, J. (2022) A Review of Autism Spectrum Disorder among the Somali Diaspora: Implications for Autism Care in Somalia. Open Journal of Psychiatry, 12, 269-284. doi: 10.4236/ojpsych.2022.123020.