Number of Children With Autism in Kazakhstan Has Nearly Doubled in Three Years

The number of children with autism spectrum disorder in Kazakhstan has risen sharply over the past three years, with annual growth reaching 35%, Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov said in response to a parliamentary inquiry, Orda.kz reports.

There are now 13,900 children with autism in the country. In 2023, there were 7,600. The figure has nearly doubled.

Overall, Kazakhstan has 32,400 children with disabilities linked to mental disorders, and 42.9% of them have autism spectrum disorder.

The government says this is partly because autism is being identified more often at an early stage. Many cases previously did not appear in the statistics. Screening is now being used to detect signs of the disorder at a younger age.

For early detection, psychophysical and diagnostic screening is carried out in child development rooms within primary health care organizations.the response says.

Psychophysical screening includes several stages:

• after birth;
• in clinics;
• during repeated examinations and follow-up monitoring.

If deviations are detected, the child is referred to specialist doctors for further diagnosis and examination.

At the same time, Bektenov noted that the main methods of support for autism spectrum disorder are non-drug and include behavioral, psychological and educational assistance.

Original author: Raushan Korzhembekova

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