Prevalence and Risk Factors of Autism Spectrum Disorder in Children with Epilepsy

The need for early detection and supportive therapy of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) underlined the influence of screening for ASD in children with epilepsy as well as screening for epilepsy in ASD. This study aimed to explore the prevalence of autism in epileptic children in the northwest of Iran. A case-control study was performed on 80 children aged 16 to 30 months, consisting of 40 with epilepsy as the case group and 40 with febrile seizure as a control group. The case group included children diagnosed with epilepsy, and the control group comprised children with recurrent febrile seizures who were matched by age and sex. Two questionnaires, Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) and Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (m-CHAT), were utilized for developmental assessment and ASD screening, respectively. An experienced child and adolescent psychiatrist clinically diagnosed autism through relevant DSM-5 criteria. The studied children comprised 22 (55%) males and 18 (45%) females. Based on the M-CHAT screening questionnaire, 19 (47.5%) patients in the case group were positive for ASD. M-CHAT-positive patients were referred to the comprehensive autism center, and of whom, 4 (10%) patients met DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for ASD (definite ASD). In epileptic children with developmental delay, the overall prevalence of definite ASD was 18.2%. The present study showed a high prevalence of autism among epileptic children, especially in developmentally delayed children; this demonstrated the need for autism screening in epileptic patients.