Exploring the association between autism spectrum disorder and immigration among a cohort of preschoolers in Manitoba

The number of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is increasing worldwide. To date there is no complete understanding of all risk factors associated with this increase. Recently, doctors and therapists at the SSCY center, the only publicly-funded referral site for ASD evaluation of children less than 6 years of age in Manitoba, noticed that a high proportion of children diagnosed with ASD have immigrant parents. While many studies from Europe and the US found children of immigrant parents are at higher risk of a diagnosis of ASD than children born to non-immigrant parents, studies looking at immigration and ASD have never been done in Canada. Researchers at the University of Manitoba will conduct a study to explore a possible association between parental immigration and childhood ASD in a group of Manitoba children diagnosed with ASD at the SSCY centre between 2016 and 2021. The study will explore socio-environmental factors in the immigration experience thought to contribute to ASD in early childhood. We hope this work leads to better understanding of how parental immigration may increase the risk of a childhood diagnosis of ASD, allowing us to recommend effective interventions to families and policy makers.