Autism in Oman: Epidemiology and Etiology

Until two years ago, little information has been known about autism in Oman. On September 2008, the newly-formulated Autism Research Group (ARG) at SQU initiated research activities which resulted in important findings, namely estimation of prevalence in Oman, quantification of malnutrition among autistics, and ascertainment of a strong association between suboptimal breastfeeding and autism. We propose for an array of research studies and infrastructure development of autism services. The studies are: 1)Situational analysis of hampering factors in notification and timely-diagnosis of autism, namely knowledge, attitude, and practice among healthcare providers and school teachers; 2) Evaluation of the social and economic burden on autism families in order to facilitate translational research and formulation of a national policy for autism; 3) Biochemical exploration of the potential role of breast milk, glutathione, and cysteine metabolism on the occurrence of autism in Oman; and 4) Exploration of functional genomics of autism candidate genes among Omani population. Results of these studies are expected to advance the infrastructure of autism research, clinical management, and community services in Oman, and to better understanding of autism etiology.