Turkey's first lady marks World Autism Awareness Day

ANKARA

Turkey’s first lady Emine Erdogan on Tuesday marked World Autism Awareness Day, an event marked internationally on April 2.

“Nowadays, one out of 59 children is born with autism. Although the reasons are not yet fully known, we should focus on the associated adverse causes such as environmental factors and improper eating habits,” Erdogan said on Twitter.

The incidence of autism has risen from one in 2,500 children in 1985, she added.

Autism, or autism spectrum disorder, refers to a group of neurodevelopment disorders of variable severity characterized by repetitive and characteristic patterns of behavior and difficulties with social communication and interaction.

Turkey's Autism Platform, a group of NGOs established by parents of children with autism, estimates there are roughly 550,000 autistic individuals in Turkey, including 150,000 age 13 and under.