Autism in the Somali population in the United States

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In Somalia, confusion leads some to believe that those affected by autism are crazy, Ahmed said.

“In our language, there’s no word [for autism],” she said.

Community members and advocates don’t necessarily see further research as a solution to the growing problem.

Ahmed said she isn’t interested in a follow-up study since it won’t help children already dealing with the everyday struggles of autism.

“It’s just wasting of money,” she said.

Instead, Ahmed said she’d like to see funding go toward educating more parents who struggle to care for children with autism spectrum disorders.

Councilman Warsame agreed: “Nobody’s really talking about it,” he said. “We’re not engaging our residents where they can get help, how they can get support.”