May 21, 2021, NI Irish Times: New report shows boys in Northern Ireland are three times more likely to be diagnosed with autism https://www.irishnews.com/news/northernirelandnews/2021/05/21/news/new-report-shows-boys-in-northern-ireland-are-three-times-more-likely-to-be-diagnosed-with-autism-2329785/
BOYS in Northern Ireland are three times more likely to be diagnosed with autism than girls, according to a Department of Health report.
It also shows there is a statistically significant higher prevalence rate of autism in urban areas than the rural population.
The Prevalence of Autism (including Aspergers Syndrome) in School age Children in Northern Ireland' study shows that the condition affects around 1 in 20 pupils.
During 2020/21, there were 13,401 school aged children who had been diagnosed with autism, accounting for 4.5 per cent of the school population.
According to the Northern Ireland School Census, 6.7 per cent of males were identified with autism compared with 2.2 per cent of females….
Of all the children diagnosed with autism in 2020/21, 14 per cent were not identified as having any special educational needs. This was the same proportion as in 2019/20.
Of those who identified with Special Educational Needs, two-thirds were at SEN Stage 5, shared responsibility with the school and Education Authority….
