Season of birth in autism: A fiction revisited

Variations of season of birth among autistic individuals were studied. The replicability of previously reported increases in birth rates in the months of March and August were examined in groups of individuals with autism or mental retardation (the comparison group). The sample was obtained from the Yale Child Study Center Developmental Disabilities Clinic and from the DSM -IV Autism/PDD field trial. Data were analyzed by applying the Jonckheere t est of ordinal trend and the chi-square test, with Yates correction factor. With respect to March and August births, and with calculations based on th e beginning and middle of the month, no significant seasonal effect was obs erved. Samples were subcategorized into verbal and mute groups, and again r esults failed to support the seasonality hypothesis.