Conducted by Hamad Bin Khalifa University’s Qatar Biomedical Research Institute in collaboration with Cleveland Clinic, Oregon Health and Science University, Hamad Medical Corporation, Shafallah Center, and Qatar University, this study sought to estimate the prevalence of autism among families in Qatar, establish a national autism database and registry, and generate data on classification and associated risk factors.

Published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry in 2019, the research team screened students aged 5 to 12 years across 93 primary schools nationwide. A total of 62,011 Social Communication Questionnaires were distributed, of which 9,072 were completed. Based on these responses, 773 children screened positive for autism. Researchers subsequently conducted interviews with 923 participants and confirmed 17 diagnoses during the school-based screening phase.

This large-scale study marks an important step in advancing understanding of autism prevalence in Qatar and provides foundational data to inform future research, policy planning, and service development.