www.inclusivechildcare.org || Concordia University, College of Education
Cindy Croft, Director || croft@csp.edu || 651.603.6265
<< back to newsletter main page
CICC E-News, Issue #8. Jan - Feb 2009
Printing newsletter pages from Firefox, Safari, and Netscape will display link addresses in print.
Somali Children with Autism: A Recent Incidence Concern
Minnesota is home to the country's largest population of Somali residents with the majority living in the Minneapolis and St. Paul metro area. Rochester, St. Cloud, Mankato, Willmar, Owatonna, St. Peter, and Faribault are also home to many Somali families. As was recently reported in the national media, concerns have been raised regarding the high number of young children, born in the U.S. to Somali families, who are being diagnosed with autism. This increase has been reported for the last five years with severe forms of the disorder. Current statistics available from Minneapolis public schools indicate that emerging statistics are intriguing:
- Last year, Somali children made up about 6 percent of the Minneapolis public schools population and 17 percent of those are in Minneapolis' early childhood autism programs (14 of 81 children).
- According to the Minnesota Department of Education, more than 12 percent of the students with autism in the Minneapolis early childhood and kindergarten programs reportedly speak Somali at home.
- In Minneapolis' autism classrooms, which are typically reserved for children whose functioning precludes them from participating in mainstream classrooms, about a quarter of the students are Somali.
These statistics have created urgency among parents and concerned members of the Somali community. Somali parents are coming forward with questions and requesting more information about autism. Many Somalis have shared that they have never heard of or were never aware of autism in Somalia. Furthermore, stigma, the language barrier, lack of knowledge of early intervention system, the difficulty of navigating the medical diagnoses, and the autism maze are all issues impacting access to information.
The departments of Health and Education in partnership with the University of Minnesota are conducting a pilot study looking at the state surveillance data to examine the prevalence of autism for the general population and Somali children in particular.
A strong network of organizations and agencies are stepping forward to meet this emerging need creating a collaborative effort. This coalition, with coordinating leadership by Fraser and HEAL Institute includes: State Departments of Health, Education, Human Services, and PACER, Center for Inclusive Child Care, Autism Society of Minnesota, Minneapolis and St. Paul Public Schools, Arc Greater Twin Cities, Confederation of Somali Community of Minnesota, the Somali Cultural and Human Services of St. Paul, Somali parents, and others. Some of the immediate outreach activities that have been completed are broadcasting a radio interview, televising a call-in panel, and setting up a community phone line.
Additionally, a community-wide forum is being planned. The primary goal of this collaborative forum is to raise awareness in the Somali community about autism and engage the community. This forum will also help parents and professionals learn about autism and how to identify "red flags" for autism. Also discussed will be the topics of how to connect to appropriate screening, assessment and treatment services, how to access early intervention for identified children, and how to find support systems for families. With this knowledge, it is hoped that Somali families and the communities where they live will be better equipped to identify concerns and know how to help their children access the early intervention system.
This community-wide forum was held on November 15, 2008 at Wilder School in Minneapolis. The goal was to reach between 100 -150 parents, providers, and community members of the Somali community as well as professionals who serve Somali children and their families. In this forum, the Departments of Health, Education, and Human Services, and various advocacy organizations will present information about autism, services, and supports available to children and families. Service providers will provide information about their services, a map for navigating the system will be discussed, and resources will be shared with the community. This event was free of charge.