The Department of Health and Social Services expects to release a report this fall that will provide an estimate on how many people in the NWT have autism.
"Currently, we are in the process of evaluating our available autism surveillance data and methods, and are preparing to release updated autism incidence and prevalence estimates for the territory," said Andrew Wind, a spokesperson for the department.
Wind explained that the department's Population Health Division monitors childhood autism, also known as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), which includes AspergerSA国际影视传媒檚 Syndrome. It does this by using various internal reporting sources, he added.
Currently, figures on how many NWT residents have autism are scarce.
The Public Health Agency of Canada estimates 1 in 50 children and youth aged one to 17 have autism. That figure comes from a 2019 Canadian health survey on children and youth. In that report, the federal agency also provides a map showing ASD rates in children and youth (also ages 1SA国际影视传媒�17) across Canada by province, but not by territory.
It explains the territories have unreliable estimates due to high sampling variability.
Of the 1 in 50 Canadian children diagnosed with ADS,
- males were diagnosed about four times more than females
- more than half were diagnosed before the age of five
- more than two-thirds had another long-term health condition SA国际影视传媒� attention deficit disorder/attention deficit and anxiety disorder were some of the most common
- Almost three-quarters of those aged two to 17 had difficulty in at least one functional domain, with communication, accepting change and making friends being most common.
Autism is a lifelong neurodevelopmental condition that affects communication, sensory processing, and those affected often have intense focus on interests.
While the exact cause is unknown, genetics and environment likely play a role, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada.
Autism is not caused by vaccines or parenting and it is not contagious, the agency adds. Many people with autism have co-occurring health conditions, such as epilepsy, sleep disorders, anxiety, depression or ADHD, which can affect their well-being.
World autism day is on April 2.
