Epilepsy in Autism: Prevalence and Associated Factors in a Large Inpatient Psychiatric Sample
Published in Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 2025
Using the Autism Inpatient Collection (n = 1,354 youth with ADOS-2–confirmed autism hospitalized in specialized psychiatric units), we examined the co-morbidity of epilepsy in a clinically relevant and historically underrepresented cohort. Epilepsy criteria were met in 18.9% of participants. Its presence was significantly associated with older age, lower non-verbal IQ, first-degree family history of seizures, and a higher medication burden, along with newly identified links to increased rates of prior genetic testing and significant genetic findings. These results replicate previously reported associations in a novel psychiatric inpatient setting and may inform clinical care and family counselling for autistic individuals seeking psychiatric care.
Recommended citation: Kielty, K., Luo, K., Siegel, M., & Mazefsky, C. A. (2025). Epilepsy in autism: Prevalence and associated factors in a large inpatient psychiatric sample. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. Advance online publication.
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