Autism in Children and Adolescents with Epilepsy – Scoping Review and Adaptation of Clinical Practice Guidelines for Recognition, Referral and Diagnosis: A Report of the ILAE Task Force on Paediatric Psychiatric Issues

The ILAE Task Force on Paediatric Psychiatric Issues conducted a scoping review to identify existing guidelines for the referral, assessment, and communication of an autism diagnosis in children. A systematic search identified 19 clinical practice guidelines (CPGs), which were critically appraised using the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation (AGREE II) instrument. This tool assesses guideline quality across domains such as rigor, clarity, and applicability. The NICE guideline, Autism spectrum disorder in under 19s: recognition, referral and diagnosis, received the highest appraisal and was selected as the source for adoption/adaptation. Sixty-three recommendations were successfully adopted and adapted for children with epilepsy using a structured adaptation process (ADAPTE framework with Delphi consensus).

Draft: Autism in Children and Adolescents with Epilepsy – Scoping Review and Adaptation of Clinical Practice Guidelines for Recognition, Referral and Diagnosis: A Report of the ILAE Task Force on Paediatric Psychiatric Issues

Supplementary Material: Supplement 1 | Supplement 2 | Supplement 3a | Supplement 3b | Supplement 4 | Supplement 5 | Supplement 6 | Supplement 7

The draft paper is now open for public comments through 2 August 2026.