Thank you, Professor Miles: it was interesting to read your linked
'public radio' news article on the disturbing story of Somali migrants.
The Minnesota autism riddle is altogether intriguing and I was stung into
further reading by your recent take on the matter. [1]
There are now an estimated 50,000 or more Somalis living in Minnesota
and Minnesota has the largest Somali population in the US. It was after
1992 that large numbers of Somali refugees began arriving in the US to
escape the devastation of the civil war in Somalia. I understand that none
of the Somali refugees had ever heard of autism back home, where there
isn't even a name for the disorder. But in Minnesota, US-born children of
Somali refugees were disturbingly proving prone to autism or what Somalis
called Minnesota Disease: the reported rate was estimated at 1 in 28
refugee schoolchildren in 2008. Why? [2].
Nearly two years ago, at the end of March 2009, The Minnesota Health
Department (MHD) published the results of a study, the Minnesota Somali
autism study, which did grudgingly confirm that more Somali children were
receiving autism services than other children. Why?
Understandably, the Somali community want answers; they want an
explanation and then a solution to the conundrum. I wonder what contribution Professor Steven H Miles has made, or is willing to make, to
finding a solution to the Minneapolis riddle.
Rapid Response:
Re:GMC should finalize its Wakefield proceeding.
Thank you, Professor Miles: it was interesting to read your linked
'public radio' news article on the disturbing story of Somali migrants.
The Minnesota autism riddle is altogether intriguing and I was stung into
further reading by your recent take on the matter. [1]
There are now an estimated 50,000 or more Somalis living in Minnesota
and Minnesota has the largest Somali population in the US. It was after
1992 that large numbers of Somali refugees began arriving in the US to
escape the devastation of the civil war in Somalia. I understand that none
of the Somali refugees had ever heard of autism back home, where there
isn't even a name for the disorder. But in Minnesota, US-born children of
Somali refugees were disturbingly proving prone to autism or what Somalis
called Minnesota Disease: the reported rate was estimated at 1 in 28
refugee schoolchildren in 2008. Why? [2].
Nearly two years ago, at the end of March 2009, The Minnesota Health
Department (MHD) published the results of a study, the Minnesota Somali
autism study, which did grudgingly confirm that more Somali children were
receiving autism services than other children. Why?
Understandably, the Somali community want answers; they want an
explanation and then a solution to the conundrum. I wonder what contribution Professor Steven H Miles has made, or is willing to make, to
finding a solution to the Minneapolis riddle.
[1] Controversial autism researcher tells local Somalis disease is
solvable. Rupa Shenoy, Minnesota Public Radio, December 17, 2010.
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2010/12/17/somali-autism/
[2] Minneapolis and the Somali Autism Riddle. David Kirby, The
Huffington Post, November 14 2008.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-kirby/minneapolis-and-the-
somal_b_143967.html
Competing interests: No competing interests