State health officials today will reveal what they've learned after concerns arose last year about the number of Somali pre-schoolers in Minneapolis public schools being classified as having autism.
The results are scheduled to be released at 2 this afternoon.
Autism, a brain disorder that can cause disruptive and withdrawn behavior, has been rising rapidly throughout the country. The discovery of a cluster among Somalis, experts say, could help scientists shed light on why. Or, it could just be a statistical fluke.
In 2007, Somali children made up just under 6 percent of the school population but 17 percent of those in the early childhood autism programs (14 of 81 children).
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